Brazil concerned over Israeli settlement expansion

BRAZIL: The Brazilian Government on Thursday expressed its "deep concern" at the news that the Israeli Government has approved to build 900 new houses in the settlement of Gilo, located in East Jerusalem.

In a statement, the Brazilian Foreign Affairs Ministry said that the Government's decision to expand Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory violates the UN Security Council's resolutions on the issue and contradicts the Israeli obligations within the context of the "roadmap" towards the peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"It represents a blow to international efforts aimed at reviving the peace process in the region and is another obstacle to achieving the goal of establishing a future Palestinian state that is geographically cohesive and economically viable," the statement said.

BRASILIA, Friday, Xinhua