On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government passed a controversial resolution that gives practically all control over planning approval for construction in West Bank settlements to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler himself and an impassioned advocate of the so-called Israeli “nationalist movement”.
The announcement came hours after Smotrich said plans for 4,560 new settlement units would go up for approval before a defense ministry planning body next week.
In a statement issued by his office, Guterres excoriated Israeli West Bank settlements as “a significant driver of tensions and violence.”
“The Secretary-General is deeply troubled by yesterday’s decision by the Israeli Government to amend settlement planning procedures,” the statement read.
“The changes can be expected to expedite the advancement of Israeli settlement plans in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.”
“He is also deeply alarmed by the anticipated advancement next week of over 4,000 settlement housing units by Israeli planning authorities,” the statement added.
