The United Nations on Wednesday (August 19) said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was alarmed by reports of illegal Israeli settlement outposts in the West Bank, warning that development in the E1 area threatened a two-state solution.
U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the E1 settlement would sever the connection between the northern and southern West Bank and have severe consequences for the territory’s integrity.
Guterres urged Israel to halt further steps and comply with U.N. resolutions and a 2024 International Court of Justice advisory opinion, Dujarric said.
Dujarric also said Israeli forces had launched an operation in Dahiriya, near Hebron, imposing a curfew, deploying rooftop snipers and blocking roads with earth mounds.
Humanitarian partners estimated about 40,000 people, including children, were confined to their homes, preventing them from obtaining supplies, accessing essential services or reaching workplaces.
Seven Palestinian homes were reportedly used as interrogation centers during the operation, Dujarric said.
