Israel came under fire Monday for claiming close to 1,000 acres of land in the Palestinian West Bank.
Israel announced Sunday
that the land in and around the Wadi Fukin valley, would become "state
land," clearing the way for the development of a new Israeli settlement.
The affected land lies near Bethlehem and close to Bitar Ilit -- one of
the biggest Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Farmers in the area have 45 days to appeal Israel's decision to claim the land.
"The seizure of such a
large swathe of land risks paving the way for further settlement
activity, which -- as the United Nations has reiterated on many
occasions -- is illegal under international law and runs totally counter
to the pursuit of a two-state solution," United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement Monday.
Reaction to Israel-Gaza ceasefire deal
UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond issued a similar statement, criticizing the move.
"This is a particularly
ill-judged decision that comes at a time when the priority must be to
build on the cease-fire in Gaza. It will do serious damage to Israel's
standing in the international community," he said. "Our position on
settlements is clear: they are illegal under international law, present
an obstacle to peace and take us further away from a two state solution
at a time when negotiations to achieve this objective urgently need to
be resumed."
Hammond said efforts
should be focused on securing a durable cease-fire in Gaza and lasting
peace. "We strongly urge the government of Israel to reverse this
decision," he said.
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