Israel's settlement 'legalisation bill' would harms

The United Nations Envoy on the Middle East peace process has warned against Israel's move to adopt the so-called 'legalisation bill,' which aims to protect illegal settlements and outposts built on private Palestinian property in the West Bank.

In a press statement, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, said, "If adopted, it will have far reaching legal consequences for Israel, across the occupied West Bank and will greatly diminish the prospect of Arab-Israeli peace."

He reiterated that all settlement activities are illegal under international law and run counter to the position of the diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East, comprising the UN, Russia, the United States and the European Union, which says that settlements are one of the main obstacles to peace.