RAMALLAH, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian official slammed Saturday Israel's new plan to build up 450 more housing units in the settlements in the West Bank, saying that "the expansion of settlements is a war crime."
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told Xinhua on the phone that the new settlements plan "assures that the Israeli government is out of the international law and out of the frame of foreign affairs."
"Such actions are certainly a war crime and need an international accountability," said Erekat, who accused Israel of insisting on ruining the principle of the two-state solution.
On Friday, the settlement watchdog in Israel, Peace Now, said the Israeli Housing and Construction Ministry presented a tender of building up 450 new housing units in three settlements in the West Bank.
"In spite of the international criticism, Israel continues its settlement activities, therefore the international community should stop dealing with Israel as a state which is above the law," said Erekat.
The Israeli decision of building up more housing units in the settlements in the West Bank was also criticized by the United States which considered the activity "illegal and contradicts with the efforts to achieve peace in the region."
"Israel's insistence to expand settlement and follow the policy of collective punishment against the Palestinians is pushing us to seek the UN Security Council's approval of a resolution to end the Israeli occupation," Erekat added.
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