This will be the first time since the 1967 occupation that Israel will begin registering land as state property following approval announced by the cabinet on Sunday.
Risk of Palestinian dispossession and greater Israeli control
UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York that the decision could lead to Palestinians being dispossessed of their property. It also risks expanding Israeli control over lands in the area.
“These measures, including Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, are not only destabilizing but, as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) recalls, illegal,” he added.
He said the Secretary-General calls on the Israeli Government to immediately reverse the measures while warning again that the current trajectory on the ground is eroding the prospect of a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians.
Illegal settlement activity
Last week, the Israeli cabinet approved measures that would increase Israeli civilian authority in Areas A and B of the West Bank, which together make up about 40 percent of the territory.
“The Secretary-General reiterates that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the regime associated with them, have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions,” the spokesperson said.
The UN chief called on all parties to preserve the only path to a negotiated two-state solution, which is “the only path to lasting peace.”
A convoy of UN vehicles passes through the Gaza Strip.
Ongoing restrictions on aid to Gaza
Meanwhile, in Gaza, aid workers working in logistics supported the recent transport of nearly 1,900 pallets full of food, shelter, health items, water and sanitation from crossing points along the perimeter fence with Israel to destinations within the Strip.
Despite this, aid operations continue to face significant impediments, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest update.
Shipments from Jordan are restricted to a route that requires multiple unloading and reloading points.
Those from Egypt – arriving via the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing – face a high return rate, with less than 60 percent unloaded between the period February 4-10.
Humanitarian missions blocked
Humanitarian movements within Gaza that require coordination with Israeli authorities also continue to face obstacles.
Of the nearly 50 moves coordinated between February 6 and 11, just over half were fully facilitated and five were outright denied.
While 11 moves were approved, they were met with significant delays and other impediments and, as a result, two of them were only partially carried out.
OCHA noted that two more denials were recorded on Monday and that “teams on the ground are working with authorities to clarify the limitations and seek their resolution so that our operations can move forward.”