TEHRAN, January 18 (MNA) – The European Union strongly criticized Tel Aviv's recent move to authorize the construction of 800 new housing units in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, calling it contrary to ‘international law'.The EU on Sunday called on the Zionist Regime to “end all settlement activity,” in the occupied West Bank, Anadolu reported.

“Zionist Regime's latest decision to advance plans for the approval and construction of almost 800 new settlement units in the West Bank, is contrary to international law and further undermines the prospects of a viable two-state solution”, said a statement issued by the European Commission’s spokesperson on foreign affairs.

The statement urged Zionist authorities to suspend the bidding process for the construction of new housing units for an entirely new settlement in Givat Hamatos.

It said these moves undermined “the positive developments of normalization agreements between Zionists and a number of Arab States”.

Last Monday, the Prime Minister of Zionist Regime Benjamin Netanyahu said he has instructed to build 800 settlement units in the West Bank.

The Zionist authorities approved the construction of 530 new settlement units in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday.

Encouraged by the US President Donald Trump’s so-called 'Deal of the Century', Netanyahu announced in May that his government would formally annex the Jordan Valley and all settlement blocs in the West Bank.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is seen as occupied territory under international law, thus making all Jewish settlements there – as well as the planned annexation – illegal.

Like Turkey and much of the international community, the EU does not recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the territories it has occupied since 1967.

The EU has repeatedly called on the regime to end all settlement activity and to dismantle the already existing ones since 2001.

RHM/PR