Speakers in the Security Council on
Tuesday denounced evictions and demolitions by Israeli
authorities of Palestinian-owned properties, as the Special Coordinator for the
Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, expressed regret
that “little progress” has made by the sides in upholding
obligations under the Council’s landmark resolution 2334.
The 2016 resolution describes Israeli settlements on Occupied
Palestinian Territory, according to 1967 borders, which includes
East Jerusalem, as a flagrant violation of international law, and
obstacle to any future two-State solution.
‘No justification’ for acts of terror
The meeting coincided with the killing of four Israeli civilians
– including two women - during a ramming and stabbing attack by
an Israeli Arab in Be’er Sheva in southern Israel, events that
Mr. Wennesland “strongly condemned” in a related statement.
“There is no justification for violence or terrorism,” the
Special Coordinator stressed through the statement. “There
is nothing heroic in the killing of civilians and there is no
excuse for praising such acts”. They must be condemned by
all.
Stressing that this is the seventh stabbing attack against
Israelis this month, he said these tragic incidents only
highlight the urgent need for all leaders to work together
against the spiral of violence.
Entrenching occupation
During his Council briefing, Mr. Wennesland pointed to Israel’s
settlement expansion as a driver of violence in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, further entrenching the occupation and
undermining the right of Palestinians to self-determination and
independent statehood.
Presenting the twenty-first report on resolution 2334 (2016),
which covers 10 December to 18 March, the Special Coordinator
noted that 670,000 Israeli citizens currently reside in over 130
illegal settlements and over 100 outposts in the occupied West
Bank, including East Jerusalem.
To be sure, “Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank,
including East Jerusalem, have no legal validity,” he
explained.
Settlement expansion
Against that backdrop, Mr. Wennesland noted that on 5 January,
Israel published tenders for 300 settlement housing units in the
Talpiyot East neighbourhood in East Jerusalem, with the Jerusalem
District Planning Committee later advancing plans to build 800
and 400 housing units respectively in the East Jerusalem
settlement of Gilo.
In addition, he said Israel’s Attorney-General on 1 February
published a legal opinion allowing authorities to declare land in
the outpost of Evyatar as “State land” and authorizing
accelerated planning procedures for the establishment of a
settlement there.
On 28 February, the Jerusalem District Planning Committee
advanced a plan for some 700 housing units in the East Jerusalem
settlement of Pisgat Ze’ev.
Daily violence
As for the resolution’s call on parties to prevent attacks
against civilians, the Special Coordinator said: “Unfortunately,
daily violence continued”.
Twenty-four Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces
during demonstrations, clashes, security operations, attacks and
alleged attacks against Israelis, during the reporting
period. In addition, Israeli settlers or other civilians
perpetrated 144 attacks against Palestinians.
In total, Palestinians carried out 277 attacks against Israeli
civilians.
Reversing negative trends
At the same time, Mr. Wennesland welcomed steps taken to “reverse
negative trends”, citing Qatar’s 27 December agreement with the
Palestinian Authority and the Gaza Electricity Distribution
Corporation, to advance construction of a natural gas pipeline
from Israel to Gaza.
In Gaza, he remarked that Israel authorized issuing permits to
some 12,000 Palestinian merchants and traders. In January,
the daily movement of workers, traders and businesspeople through
the Erez crossing was the highest since 2007.
A call for calm
Mr. Wennesland observed that the absence of a meaningful peace
process to end Israel’s occupation and resolve the conflict, is
fuelling a dangerous deterioration that is destabilizing the
situation across the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Ahead of Ramadan, Pesach and Easter – a time of “peaceful
reflection, prayer and celebration” for all religions - he urged
parties to keep international law and bilateral agreements in
sight, with a view to ending the occupation.
“Leaders on all sides have a critical role to play in ensuring
calm,” he stressed.
