By NNN-KUNA
Brussels : The 27-member European Union has condemned Israeli settlement in occupied Palestinian lands, describing such activity as illegal and an obstacle to peace.
“The EU considers that settlement building anywhere in the occupied Palestinian Territories is illegal under international law. This includes Israeli settlements in both East Jerusalem and the West Bank,” said EU foreign ministers in a statement here Monday after a discussion on the situation in Palestine.
“Settlement construction is an obstacle to peace. The EU is therefore deeply concerned by recent settlement activity, particularly the recent tenders issued for new construction in Har HomaRoad,” said the EU statement.
They called on Israel to freeze all settlement activity and dismantle all outposts erected since March 2001.
The EU ministers voiced grave concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza and called for the continuous provision of essential goods and services, including fuel and power supplies.
The statement called on Israel to fulfil its obligations to Gaza and on all parties to work urgently for the controlled reopening of the crossings in and out of Gaza for both humanitarian reasons and commercial flows.
The EU underlined its support for the proposal by the Palestinian Authority to take control of the crossings and also for the Arab League resolution in that respect.