UNITED NATIONS, July 26. /TASS/. Israel should stop building settlements on the occupied Palestinian land, as the situation in the West Bank is on the verge of a large-scale explosion, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said.
"We call on the Israeli authorities to abide by international humanitarian law and shoulder full responsibility for the population under occupation. First of all, we talk about commitments to provide food supply, medical care, public order and security," he said during a UN Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. "It is also necessary to stop the construction of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, which is a gross violation of international law. Due to such steps of the Israeli authorities, which recently have intensified noticeably, the situation in the West Bank is also on the brink of a massive explosion," he said.
The Russian ambassador pointed out that Israel has the right to ensure its security, "however, the road to this goal runs without any doubt exceptionally through a comprehensive resolution in the Middle East and, first and foremost, through mending the historic injustice against Palestine and establishing an independent Palestinian state in conformity with the decisions of the UN Security Council and General Assembly."
"Any other dubious schemes designed to reconcile Israel with its neighbors without a fair solution to the Palestinian issue will fail to lead to this goal but can merely trigger outbreaks of violence similar to the one the region is going through now," he concluded.
Tensions flared up in the Middle East after militants of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas attacked Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip on October 7, when many Israelis living in the settlements near the border were killed and over 200 people taken hostage. Hamas views its attack as a response to Israeli authorities’ steps against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also reported in the West Bank.