The UN Middle East peace envoy on Monday singled out Israel's settlement building for criticism as he highlighted deadlocked efforts to bring Israelis and Palestinians into direct talks.
"Provocations continue to damage confidence," special envoy Robert Serry told a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East.
"In particular, Israel continues to engage in settlement activity, including in highly sensitive areas, and demolitions of Palestinian structures are ongoing."
Israel stepped up approvals of new settlements and froze tax and customs payments to the Palestinian Authority which was ordered after Palestine was accepted as a member of UNESCO last month.
About $100 million dollars a month is being withheld, according to the UN envoy.
Serry said the payments, collected by Israel, amount to about two thirds of the Palestinian Authority's annual income and that its "state-building gains" and buildup of security forces could be undermined.
Serry also told the council that the weekly average of attacks by settlers on Palestinians in the occupied territories had increased by 40 percent in 2011 against 2010 and by 165 percent against 2009.
"Provocations continue to damage confidence," special envoy Robert Serry told a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East.
"In particular, Israel continues to engage in settlement activity, including in highly sensitive areas, and demolitions of Palestinian structures are ongoing."
Israel stepped up approvals of new settlements and froze tax and customs payments to the Palestinian Authority which was ordered after Palestine was accepted as a member of UNESCO last month.
About $100 million dollars a month is being withheld, according to the UN envoy.
Serry said the payments, collected by Israel, amount to about two thirds of the Palestinian Authority's annual income and that its "state-building gains" and buildup of security forces could be undermined.
Serry also told the council that the weekly average of attacks by settlers on Palestinians in the occupied territories had increased by 40 percent in 2011 against 2010 and by 165 percent against 2009.
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