Mr. Guterres recalled that in an Advisory Opinion last July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared that Israel is under an obligation to cease immediately all new settlement activities, to evacuate all settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and to bring to an end its unlawful presence there as rapidly as possible.

 “There will be no sustainable solution to this conflict without an end to this unlawful occupation and the achievement of a viable two-State solution,” the statement concluded, stressing that “Gaza is and must remain an integral part of a Palestinian State.”

In the wake of the development, the Permanent Observer of the observer State of Palestine, Riyad Mansour, held consultations with the president of the UN Security Council in New York.

“This escalation by the Israeli Government is going in total contradiction to the will of the international community, international law and common sense – and, I even dare to say, against the wish of the majority of people inside Israel, as we read opinion polls,” he told journalists at UN Headquarters.

The Security Council is due to meet on Saturday at 3 PM in emergency session to discuss the crisis.