MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Friday, the UN Security Council passed a resolution in a 14-0 vote, with the only abstention from the United States, condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The resolution states that Israel should immediately and completely cease all settlement activities on "occupied Palestinian territory," including in East Jerusalem.
"Belgium fully shares the position of the international community expressed in this resolution: only a two-state solution offers the prospect of lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The settlement policy of the territories occupied by Israel is illegal, and its continuation seriously jeopardizes the possibility of a two-state solution," the ministry said in a statement.
Over 500,000 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, which Israel captured during the 1967 war. The settlements are considered illegal by the United Nations.
Israeli authorities criticized the resolution and refused to abide by its provisions.
