UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Israel must stop the settlement expansion, Angela Kane, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, said in a briefing to the Security Council on Tuesday.

    Barrier construction and land-levelling in the Occupied Palestinian Territory by Israel are going on at this moment despite the ruling of the International Court of Justice, she said.  

    Earlier this month, the Israeli Defense Minister had ordered the resumption of work on three sections of the barrier in Jerusalem, which had earlier been frozen following an order of the Israeli High Court of Justice, Kane added.

    In addition, retroactive permits had been issued for the construction of the Modi-in Illit settlement neighborhood of Matityahu East, which was being built on land belonging to the Palestinian village of Bil'in, the UN official noted.  

    She stressed that the Quartet had reiterated its view that that settlement expansion must stop, as well as its concerns about the route of the barrier.  Enditem