Permanent Palestinian observer at the United Nations, Riyadh Mansour, sent a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Head of the Security Council, in addition to the head of the General-Assembly, stating that Israel, as an occupying force, is destroying all chances for the two-state solution by its ongoing violations and its escalating settlement activities in the occupied territories.Mansour stated that the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu, issued bids on April 4, for the construction of 827 units in the illegal colony of Har Homa (Jabal Abu Ghneim) in the western part of East Jerusalem, and 180 units in Givat Zeev settlement, north of East Jerusalem.
He added that Israeli soldiers also demolished two Palestinian homes in Beit Jala, near Bethlehem, and destroyed wells and power units in the area.
“It is clear; Israel wants these families out of their lands so it can expand Har Gilo settlement so that it can complete its chain of colonies around Jerusalem”, Mansour said. “The Israeli actions are preventing any natural growth of Palestinian cities, towns and villages”.
The official further stated that most of the residents of Beit Jala are Christians, and were severely impacted by the Israeli polices, especially by Israel’s construction and expansion of its settlements, the Annexation Wall and the settler-only bypass roads.
“These policies forced dozens of families to immigrate”, he said, “Israel and its settlers are ongoing with their attacks against the residents, their lands, and their property; Israel’s illegal policies and attacks must end”.
He also denounced the illegal detention and imprisonment of hundreds of Palestinians without any charges or trial, adding that there are several detainees who are now on hunger-strike demanding their release, and that at least 61 detainees were injured after Israeli soldiers attacked them in Nafha prison when they refused to submit to illegal DNA tests, and were cuffed before the soldiers extracted these samples by force.
Mansour demanded the International Community and the Security Council to strongly denounce the illegal Israeli activities against the Palestinians in the occupied territories, and called for obliging Israel to stop its violations.
