Palestinian foreign ministry seeks UN resolution to halt Israeli settlements

Palestinian foreign ministry said that it would continue its political and diplomatic coordination with Arab sister states and the world for the issuance of the UN Security Council’s resolution which stipulates halting the Israeli settlement activities immediately.

The ministry explained in a statement on Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu works daily on implementing the strategy of the ruling right-wing in Israel which aims to expand settlements and deepen the Palestinian land’s judisation activities; as a result, numerous settlement activities get approved every day.

Last week, a UN body, UNESCO, passed a resolution which denied any Jewish connection to Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Buraq (Wailing) Wall in occupied Jerusalem. Outlining that the city is holy to all three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the resolution says Al-Aqsa Mosque and its courtyards are only sacred to Muslims.

Settlements: What exactly are they, and what is their significance?

Soon after Israel conquered the West Bank and Gaza Strip in June 1967, Israeli authorities began to establish civilian colonies – settlements – in the newly-occupied territory. Initially small in number, the settlements steadily grew, spreading across the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Today, around half a century on, there are well over 200 settlements, not including those removed from the Gaza Strip in 2005. Some settlements are major cities, while others are small outposts – all together, the settler population is now more than 600,000

Also Read: How much Palestinian land do Israeli settlements really eat up?