The placement of the Israeli authorities tender for the construction of housing in the area of Givat Hamatos in East Jerusalem prevents the Palestinian-Israeli settlement, a comment of the Russian Foreign Ministry reads.
"This decision contradicts the international legal basis of the Middle East settlement. Construction of a new block of settlements in the specified area will lead to the separation of East Jerusalem from Bethlehem and will violate the territorial continuity of the Palestinian state, which is an essential condition for its viability," the Ministry said.
The Russian diplomatic mission confirmed Russia's principled position on the illegality of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. "Such actions of Israel serve as an obstacle on the way to achieving a just Palestinian-Israeli settlement, as well as the establishment of a lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East", the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation emphasized.
Smolenskaya Square also called on to refrain from any steps that undermine the prospects for resuming direct Palestinian-Israeli dialogue on fundamental final status issues.
On November 15, the Israeli Ministry of Construction and Land Administration published a tender for the construction of 1,257 housing units in Givat Hamatos.
Israel's ongoing construction in the West Bank is considered one of the main obstacles to resolving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli confrontation. In December 2016, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2334 demanding that Israel immediately stop its settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories. Israel at the same time stated that it would not comply with the provisions of this UN Security Council document. Russian Foreign Ministry has previously expressed concern that Israel's actions to extend sovereignty "may provoke a dangerous turn of violence in the Palestinian territories" and "destabilize the situation in the Middle East region".
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS