Israel denies UN envoys access to West Bank

Israel has refused to allow representatives of the UN Security Council to visit the occupied West Bank.

Israel’s Channel 7 reported yesterday that the Palestinians proposed the visit on Monday during a Security Council meeting to discuss Israel’s suspension of an international observer mission in the West Bank city of Hebron.

“Israel opposed the visit because it is part of an ongoing Palestinian propaganda campaign aimed at presenting a false reality to the international community,” the Israeli channel quoted Israeli Ambassador to the Security Council, Danny Danon, as saying.

“The United States will reject it as well,” Danon added.

For his part, Kuwait’s ambassador to the Security Council, Mansour Al-Otaibi, said: “It takes a consensus to organize such a visit by the Security Council and the 15 members.”

Equatorial Guinea – which holds the Council’s rotating presidency – said it is working to resolve the issue.

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The Security Council’s meeting included a presentation of the results of meetings between the UN body and Palestinian and Israeli officials on Israel’s decision to end the mission’s work.

Last week, the UK asked to organise a Security Council visit to the Middle East, a proposal supported by Indonesia, South Africa and Germany, which are non-permanent members.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ended the mission’s mandate last month; a decision that was rejected by a majority of the UN Security Council member states and other countries, with the exception of the United States.

READ: US: Israel had ‘every right’ to expel Hebron observers