France says "extremely concerned" by Israel's land seizure plan
Xinhua, January 23, 2016 Adjust font size:
France on Friday expressed concerns over Israel's decision to declare land in the occupied West Bank as "state territory," a move likely to further block talks of the fragile peace process, according to a statement released by the French foreign ministry.
"France is extremely concerned by the Israeli authorities' decision to appropriate more than 150 hectares of agricultural land in the West Bank for the benefit of Israeli settlements," the Quai d'Orsay said.
In a statement, the French foreign ministry called the settlement "a violation of international law," adding that it "contradicts the commitments made by the Israeli authorities in support of the two-state solution."
On Thursday, Israeli officials announced a plan to seize a large tract of land in the West Bank close to the Jordanian border which may accelerate settlement expansion and fuel tension in the region.
The last round of peace negotiations broke down between Israel and Palestine in April 2014. Endit