Dubai: UN chief Ban Ki-moon thanked the Israel regime for supporting the Gaza reconstruction efforts on a trip to occupied Jerusalem, and also called on the regime to lift its blockade of the territory
He also chastised the Israeli prime minister on the issue of Jewish colonies and challenged Benjamin Netanyahu to show “leadership” and make compromises for peace.
Ban spoke on Monday during a visit to occupied Jerusalem. He cited Israel’s recent announcement on new colony construction plans for occupied east Jerusalem, noting that such construction was “in clear violation of international law”.
The Jerusalem municipality announced two weeks ago that it had approved plans for the construction of some 2,500 homes in Givat Hamatos, a development that would complete a band of Jews-only housing in east Jerusalem and present another obstacle to the Palestinian goal of establishing a capital in the area.
Ban also urged Netanyahu to resume Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. Ban, who arrived earlier in the West Bank city of Ramallah, told a joint news conference with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah following their meeting that it’s time for all parties “to be to the side of peace”.
He vowed that the UN would continue its full support to all efforts that will achieve at the end the two-state solution.
Ban condemned the ongoing Israeli colony activities, expressing deep concern that such practices “would lead to more tension in the region”.
The situation between Israel and the Palestinians “has to be resolved as part of the general political margin that will end half a century of Israeli military occupation and lead to the two-state solution”, the UN chief said.
Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians stopped at the end of March after it went on for nine months under US sponsorship. The talks failed to achieve any progress on major issues.
Meanwhile, Ban announced that the UN would keep supporting the four-month-old Palestinian unity government, mainly in the reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.
Ban flew to Ramallah following a donors’ conference in Cairo on Gaza reconstruction.
Palestinian Prime Minister Hamdallah said at the press conference on Monday that the $4 billion pledged by donors on Sunday “will remain useless as long as Israel does not completely lift its blockade”.
“The mechanism of allowing the construction material into Gaza under the supervision of the UN, which was accepted by both Israel and the Palestinians, is a good step in the right direction,” Hamdallah said.
“But this would never happen until Israel lifts the blockade, stop all its measures, end the military occupation of the Palestinian territories and a Palestinian state is established on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he added.
