UN Slams Israel’s Plan To Expand Gilo Settlement

Wednesday November 25, 2009 08:42 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The United Nations slammed an Israeli plan to expand the Gilo illegal Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem and considered it as another obstacle to the already stalled peace process.

The UN statement came after Israel announced a plan to build 900 units in the settlement which was built on Palestinian lands located between Beit Jala City, near Bethlehem, and Jerusalem.

Several countries worldwide protested the Israeli plan to expand the settlement.

Furthermore, UN undersecretary general, Haile Menkerios, said that Israel demolished in October 17 Palestinian homes displacing 99 Palestinians, half of them children.

He added that the Israeli actions do not help in advancing the peace process, and that the Israeli army shot and wounded 73 Palestinians, and kidnapped 300 residents in the West Bank.

In East Jerusalem, 24 Palestinians were wounded last month while Israeli also shut down several Palestinian institutions, an issue that violates the Road Map Peace Plan formulated by the European Union, the United States, Russia and the United Nations.

Menkerios also warned that the ongoing siege on the Gaza Strip is directly affecting the daily lives of the Palestinians, deteriorating infrastructure, and degrading the environment as the residents do not have the materials and resources to rebuild their homes and facilities bombarded by Israel during the war earlier this year.

He added that the ongoing siege on Gaza is preventing the entry of humanitarian supplies and the basic daily essentials.

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