News / France

France 'concerned' about Israeli seizure of Palestinian land

Wednesday, 16 March 2016 4:45 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 16 March 2016 4:43 PM ]

A general view shows buildings under construction in the illegal Israeli settlement of Har Homa in East al-Quds (Jerusalem), on March 7, 2016, with the West Bank city of Bethlehem in the background. ©AFP

France said Wednesday it is "extremely concerned" about a move by the Israeli regime to expropriate more Palestinian land for its illegal settlement construction.

"Settlements constitute a violation of international law and contradict commitments made by Israeli authorities in favor of a [so-called] two-state solution," Romain Nadal, the French Foreign Ministry spokesman, said in a daily briefing.

The Israeli regime has confirmed it recently confiscated about 579 acres (234 hectares) of Palestinian land.

The Peace Now movement, an anti-settlement campaigning group, said the land, which is equivalent in size to over 250 football pitches, is located south of the Palestinian city of Jericho and close to the Dead Sea.

The group said the land confiscation is the largest in the occupied West Bank since Israel's seizure of 988 acres (400 hectares) of Palestinian land in 2014.

A photo taken on February 1, 2016 shows a partial view of the illegal Israeli settlement of Efrat, located on the southern outskirts of the West Bank city of Bethlehem. ©AFP

More than half a million Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

Much of the international community regards the Israeli settler units as unlawful.

The presence and continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories has created a major obstacle for the efforts to establish peace in the Middle East.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk