US says resolution for Israeli settlements is at early stage

US State Department spokesman Toner says draft by UN Security Council for Israeli settlements is at ''very early'' stage

United States Department od State spokesperson Mark Toner speaks at a press conference.
TRT World and Agencies

United States Department od State spokesperson Mark Toner speaks at a press conference.

A Palestinian United Nations draft resolution that condemns Israeli settlement activities is at a "very early" stage, a United States official said on Friday.

"Nothing has been formally introduced or circulated at the Security Council, and nothing has been introduced by a Security Council member," according to State Department spokesman Mark Toner.

He said the US continues to express concerns about Israel's ongoing settlement activities he described as "illegitimate and counterproductive to the cause of peace in the Middle East."

Toner's comments come after media reports said Palestine said it would introduce a resolution at the UN that would condemn Israeli settlement activity.

Robert Piper, the UN coordinator for humanitarian aid and assistance for the occupied Palestinian territories, urged EU authorities in Brussels to place political pressure on Israel for its settlement activities.

With more than 540 demolitions and confiscations this year, the Israeli military has already matched its 2015 total and tightened the grip on Palestinians living in the occupied territories, according to Piper.

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