Palestine slams US pressure over updating companies in Israeli settlements

Palestine has slammed the US move to pressure the UN not to update its list of companies operating in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki told "Voice of Palestine" that "the Palestinian leadership rejects any US pressure on the UN and its operating institutions".

He added that his Ministry is working to arrange a meeting with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, Xinhua news agency reported.

His remark came after US State Department Spokesman Vedant Patel said on Friday that Washington "continued to oppose any action to update the list, and has raised concerns directly with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights".

In February 2020, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights published a list of companies operating in Israeli settlements. The list comprises 112 companies, including Israeli and American companies.

Israel took control of the West Bank after the 1967 war and established dozens of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are considered a violation of international law.

The UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which was enacted in 2016, deemed these Israeli settlements illegal and urged an immediate end to them in the Palestinian territories.

--IANS

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