Ban urges Israel to freeze east Jerusalem settlements
UN Chief Ban Ki-moon urges Israeli government to 'commit fully to its obligations'
United Nations Chief Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday urged Israel to freeze its settlement activity in east Jerusalem, adding his voice to mounting international pressure on Israel.
"I urge the government of Israel to commit fully to its obligations, including to freeze settlement activity and natural growth," said Ban in a message to a United Nations meeting in Geneva on the Middle East.
"If Israel continues settlement activity, it will not only be acting contrary to international law but also to a strong international consensus", he said.
By contrast, if Israel freezes settlement activity, it would "facilitate a new environment of cooperation and common purpose from the countries in the region," he added.
Israel has come under intense diplomatic heat this week over its settlement activity, with the European Union and Russia warning it not to violate a Middle East peace plan.
The warnings come after it emerged that planning authorities gave the green light to a project to build 20 new apartments on the site of a former hotel in the Arab half of the Holy City.
