UN slams Israel’s expansion of illegal settlements in occupied West Bank
Israeli army bulldozers demolish a Palestinian building in the West Bank village of Anza, 27 July 2026
Al Jazeera reports on 27 July 2025:
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned Israeli plans to accelerate the development of settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Guterres said in a statement released on Monday that Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory have “no legal validity” and constitute a “flagrant violation” of international law. His criticism comes amid escalating violence in the West Bank as well as Israeli plans to legalise existing outposts and establish new ones.
Guterres said the settlements remain a major obstacle to a two-state solution and to a “just, lasting and comprehensive peace” between Israelis and Palestinians.
The secretary-general’s statement builds on repeated UN and partner agency warnings over Israeli settlement policy in recent months. The organisations have called for civilian protection and accountability for perpetrators under international humanitarian and human rights law.