“I am extremely concerned about the decision of the Israeli authorities regarding the status of the settlements of Sansana, Rachalim and Bruchin in the occupied Palestinian territory,” AFP quoted EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton as saying on Wednesday.
“I call upon them to reverse this decision,” Ashton added.
She noted that “settlements are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace, and threaten the viability of a two-state solution.”
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday announced the ‘legalization’ of the outposts of Bruchin and Rechelim in northern West Bank and Sansana in the southern part of the occupied Palestinian territory.
The EU statement is the latest in an international chorus of condemnations against the Israeli regime’s decision.
On Tuesday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon criticized Tel Aviv’s decision, saying he was “deeply troubled” by the unlawful move.
The UN chief noted that the regime has an international obligation to refrain from “provocations” like constructing new illegal settlements in the occupied lands.
Israel’s main ally, the United States, said it was also worried by the decision. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Washington was seeking clarification from the Israeli government, and repeated US opposition to the settlement activity.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle also criticized the Israeli move, saying Berlin had “pushed in talks with the Israeli side over the past days for this not to happen.”
The Israeli settlement watchdog, Peace Now, has also criticized the Israeli government’s ‘legalization’ of the outposts.
“This is the first time since 1990 that the Israeli government has decided to establish new settlements,” said Hagit Ofran from the group.
Around 350 Israeli settlers currently live in Bruchin, while some 240 settlers live in Rechelim. Sansana, which is located near the city of al-Khalil (Hebron), is also home to about 240 settlers.
Outposts are newer and smaller Israeli settlements and Israel considers those outposts that were built without authorization from the Tel Aviv regime to be illegal.
The international community regards all the Israeli settlements across the West Bank as illegal under international law, whether authorized by the Tel Aviv regime or not.
On February 22, Israel approved construction of 500 new illegal units in the West Bank settlement of Shilo, and it also ‘legalized’ more than 200 homes built in the West Bank without permits from the Tel Aviv regime.
About 500,000 Israelis live in more than 100 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the number of settlers is increasing.
MN/AS/HN
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