03/10/2003

Annan voices 'deep disquiet' over Israeli's West Bank wall

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has expressed his "deep disquiet" at the Israeli government's decisions to continue construction of a separation wall on the West Bank and build 600 new houses in the area.

Referring to a statement issued on 26 September by the diplomatic Quartet - the United Nations, United States, European Union and Russian Federation - calling on both Israelis and Palestinians to address each other's core concerns, UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said that the Secretary-General "views both the security wall and settlements in the West Bank built on Palestinian land as serious obstacles to the achievement of a two-State solution".

"Moreover, the wall continues to cause great hardship to thousands of Palestinian families," Mr Eckhard added.

At the weekly Israeli Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the government reiterated its commitment to the establishment of "the seam zone" as one of "utmost importance" and that there was a "strong security need" for building a security barrier in the seam zone.

As such, the government approved the building of a barrier to "prevent terror attacks" and was solely for "defense purposes" and did not represent "any kind of political border".

The Cabinet said that every effort would be taken to "reduce disturbances" to the quality of life for Palestinians that are likely to occur during the construction of the barrier.

The 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention on the wartime treatment of civilians forbids an occupying power to resettle its own civilians on territory under its military control.

Meanwhile, the Road Map calls for a series of parallel and reciprocal steps by Israel and the Palestinians leading to two states living side by side in peace by 2005.

(gmcg)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

22 October 2003
UN tells Israel to remove its West Bank security wall
The UN General Assembly has today "overwhelmingly approved" a resolution demanding that Israel stop building its security wall in the West Bank. The Assembly adopted the measure last night by 144 votes to four against (Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, Marshall Islands, United States), with 12 abstentions.
18 December 2009
Rural 'Fuel Poverty' To Be Tackled
A major pilot project has been launched this week by the Commission for Rural Communities, in partnership with the Rural Services Network.
02 April 2003
Regulatory body for security guards and bouncers launched
In a shake up of the private security industry announced today bouncers and wheel clampers will have to be licensed and regulated by the new Security Industry Authority (SIA). The measures are designed to protect the public from rogue operators and create higher standards of recruitment and training for private security operatives and managers.
09 October 2006
Police search CCTV footage in hit-and-run inquiry
Police in Scotland are examining CCTV footage in a bid to catch the hit-and-run killers of 10-year-old Edinburgh schoolboy Jack Anderson. Jack was knocked down by a green Peugeot close to his home last Thursday afternoon. The car was initially spotted in St John's Road and was later abandoned at Saughton Prison.
11 May 2004
Russia set to send 1,000 troops to Chechnya
More than 1,000 Russian troops are to be sent to Chechnya following the assassination of its President Akhmad Kadyrov and a number of government officials in a bomb blast on Sunday. Separatist Chechen guerrillas have been blamed for the bombing which claimed the lives of seven people.