State of Palestine

Palestine Liberation Organization

Negotiations Affairs Department

April 13, 2016

Statement by PLO Secretary General Dr. Saeb Erekat on latest Israeli settlement construction announcement

The continued Israeli colonization of Palestine is a war crime under international law. This is an official policy of the Government of Israel that continues to entrench Israel's colonial occupation and destroy the prospects of two independent states living side by side in peace and security on the 1967 border.

The latest approval of settlement construction, and the significant increase in Israeli settlement activity during 2016, should serve as a reminder to the international community of its responsibility to put an end to such crimes, and the importance of utilizing all avenues, including the United Nations Security Council, to hold Israel accountable for its continuous crimes, to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine and to honor the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.