In a statement to the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, delivered by Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Mr. Ban urged all sides to abide by their international obligations, emphasizing that the wall and increased settlement activity were fuelling tensions.

“The implications of the wall go far beyond its legality,” he stated, pointing out that 10 years ago today, the ICJ in its Advisory Opinion on the “Legal Consequences of a Wall in the Occupied Territory” found that the Israeli construction of the Wall within the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, violated Israel’s obligation under international law.