Iran: Israel settlement expansion must immediately end

Iran has sharply condemned Israel’s decision to construct more illegal settler units in the occupied Palestinian lands, saying the regime’s expansionist policies make a mockery of international law.

On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said Tel Aviv’s decision to expand its illegal settlements is against international regulations and United Nations resolutions, Press TV reported.

He further emphasized the need for an immediate end to Israel’s unlawful construction activities in the occupied territories, calling on international bodies to help reduce the sufferings of the oppressed Palestinian nation.

On July 3, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the minister of military affairs, Avigdor Liberman, approved plans to construct 800 new housing units for settlers in and around the occupied East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

Around 570,000 Israelis live in more than 100 settlements built since the regime’s 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds.

The United Nations views Israeli settlements as illegal because the territories were captured by the regime during a war in 1967 and are hence subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands.

However, Tel Aviv has turned a cold shoulder to international calls for a halt to its land grab, drawing harsh criticism even from its own allies, including the US and EU states.

Source: MENA