Amman: The UN Security Council on Monday held a session on the Question of Palestine, during which members discussed the Secretary-General’s report on Resolution 2334 concerning the illegality of Israeli settlements.

According to Jordan News Agency, the session focused on Resolution 2334, adopted in December 2016, which calls on Israel to immediately and completely halt all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. The report highlighted ongoing concerns regarding the expansion of Israeli settlements.

Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, stated that Israeli settlement expansion continues to accelerate, along with the spread of settlement outposts. He also noted legislative moves by the Israeli Knesset aimed at annexing the West Bank. Alakbarov emphasized that Israeli settlements are illegal and violate international law and UN resolutions, systematically reducing the space for a Palestinian state and further entrenching Israel’s occupation.

Alakbarov cited UN Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres, who warned that advancing construction plans in the “E-1” area would be a disastrous development. This expansion, he cautioned, could sever the northern West Bank from the south, undermining the contiguity of a sovereign Palestinian state, increasing the risk of forced displacement, and fueling tensions.

Furthermore, Alakbarov underscored the necessity for Israel to comply with its international law obligations, referencing the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on July 19, 2024. This opinion concluded that Israel must immediately cease all new settlement activity, evacuate all settlers, and end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory promptly.