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UN's Ban Ki-moon warns Israel of 'fatal blow' to peace
Israeli settlement plans in a strategically sensitive area of occupied land near East Jerusalem would deal "an almost fatal blow" to peace hopes, UN head Ban Ki-moon has warned.Palestinians in East Jerusalem could be completely cut off from the rest of the West Bank, he said.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue with the building plans. "We will carry on building in Jerusalem and in all the places that are on the map of Israel's strategic interests" The UN General Assembly backed a proposal on Thursday by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to change the Palestinians' status at the UN to that of non-member observer state. In a statement on Sunday, Mr Ban expressed his "grave concern and disappointment" over the 3,000 newly authorised Israeli settlement units in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. But he was most adamant that any plans to build in the so-called E1 area - between Jerusalem and the West Bank settlement of Maaleh Adumim - should be rescinded. An Israeli official has described the proposals in the E1 zone as "preliminary zoning and planning work". "It would represent an almost fatal blow to remaining chances of securing a two-state solution," Mr Ban said.
Posted by: tipper 2012-12-03 |
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