Turkey Slams Israel’s Plans for New Illegal Settlement Units

TEHRAN (Defapress) – "We strongly condemn the approval by Israel to build over 2,000 additional units in the West Bank, which is under Israeli occupation," a statement by the Turkish foreign ministry said.

The statement said that the "actions taken in disregard of international law and relevant UN Resolutions" would damage the ongoing peace process in the region, underlining that Israel's practices violate the "inalienable rights of Palestinian people."

Turkey also called upon the international community to oppose Israel's plan to build more illegal settlements in the West Bank.

The European Union also slammed Israel on Thursday over its advancement of plans for new homes in the West Bank, saying they threaten the establishment of a “contiguous and viable” Palestinian state.

On Wednesday, an Israeli committee responsible for approving settlement construction gave final authorization to build 382 homes, while it also cleared another 620 for a planning stage known as a “deposit.”

Over 600,000 Israelis currently live in over 100 Jewish-only housing units.

The Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories are regarded illegal by the international community.

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