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UN chief concerned over Israel's authorization to take West Bank land

Xinhua, January 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday expressed his deep concern about reports of an Israeli government plan to appropriate new land in West Bank.

Reports said Israel has approved expropriation of 380 acres (154 hectares) of West Bank agricultural land south of the Palestinian city of Jericho. The area, part of it already taken by Jewish settlers in the past few years, will be announced as "state land" in the next few weeks.

"If implemented, this declaration would constitute the largest land appropriation by Israel in the West Bank since August 2014," said a statement released by Ban's spokesperson.

The area to be expropriated is second only to the 939 acres (380 hectares) of land west of Bethlehem that were announced by Israeli government as "state land" in August 2014.

Ban reiterated his call for substantial policy changes by Israel that will improve wellbeing of Palestinians.

"Settlement activities are a violation of international law and run counter to the public pronouncements of the government of Israel supporting a two-state solution to the conflict," said the statement.

Israel occupied West Bank during the 1967 Mideast War and has been controlling it ever since, in a move condemned by the international community. Endi