UN chief condemns Israeli housing plan
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UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has criticised Israeli housing expansion in East Jerusalem, and called on the Palestinians and Israelis to resume talks over a peace agreement.
"I'M very concerned about the recent announcement of plans to advance settlements in East Jerusalem, which are in clear violation of international law," Ban said in Jerusalem, where he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Earlier this month, Israel announced plans to build 2610 housing units in Givat Hamatos in East Jerusalem. On the recent 50-day Gaza conflict, Netanyahu again accused Palestinian Islamist group Hamas of responsibility for the outbreak of fighting, which left more than 2000 people dead - mainly Palestinians. "Hamas is the enemy of all of us who seek peace," Netanyahu said.
"Real peace can only be achieved through bilateral negotiations with those who believe in peace," he said. "I believe that unilateral steps by Palestinians at the United Nations will not advance peace; they'll do the very opposite."
The chief Israeli negotiator with the Palestinians, Zipi Livni, agreed and urged Ban not to support a proposal by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for the UN Security Council to pass a binding resolution that would spell out a timeframe for the creation of a Palestinian state.
She said negotiations are based on mutual compromises and the international community must support initiatives that are in the interests of both sides in the dispute.
Earlier on Monday in the West Bank after a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, Ban outlined an agreement on a mechanism that would allow the entry of construction materials into the ravaged Gaza Strip.
Ban and Hamdallah said the reconstruction process would be monitored by the UN and enforced by the Palestinian Authority with consent from Hamas.
"I am confident that this mechanism, if implemented in good faith by the parties, would allow for large-scale reconstruction urgently needed in Gaza," Ban said.
Source: AP
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