Palestinian officials condemn Israel's seizure of lands

Senior Palestinian officials said Wednesday that Israel's land confiscation in the West Bank and claiming it as "state land" undermines the two-state solution.

Jericho Governor Majid Fityani told Xinhua that the Israeli government confiscated 2,340 dunum of land (about 568 acres) in southern Jericho, near the Dead Sea and claimed it "state land."

Fityani condemned the step as part of Israel's targeting of the Jordan Valleys area that is considered the food basket for the Palestinians.

He said that this shows "the real face of Israel that is not interested in the two-state solution."

Secretary General of Palestine Liberation organization's (PLO) Executive Committee Saeb Erekat said the move, which came when the French peace envoy arrived in the region, "is manifestation of Israel's culture of evading punishment granted to it by the international community, which is the main obstacle to ending the Israeli occupation."

Israeli rights group Peace Now said the confiscation order is one of the biggest in the past few years. The organization clarified that the confiscation is made for settlement purposes.

Israeli Public Radio reported that UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon called on Israel to retract the step and said it would "impede the two-state solution."

According to the radio station, a U.S. State Department spokesperson described in a statement the settlement activity in the West Bank as illegal.

The issue of Jewish settlements in the West Bank was deemed illegal by many powers, including the United States, China and the European Union, and has contributed to the stalling of the peace process. Endit