Israel is still ignoring a 2016 UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate halt to all settlement activity in lands the Palestinians want for their future state, the UN's Middle East envoy has said.
Plans for construction of nearly 2,000 housing units in the past three months were still being advanced, Tor Wennesland told the council on Wednesday.
Mr Wennesland, the UN Special Co-ordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said no progress had been made by Israelis and Palestinians on other demands in the resolution. These include preventing violence against civilians, refraining from acts of provocation, inflammatory rhetoric, and distinguishing between Israeli territory and territories occupied since the 1967 war.
"We continue to see little progress," Mr Wennesland said, referring to the enforcement of the resolution since its adoption in December 2016.
He said several positive steps had been taken during the three-month period, including two contacts between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and high-level Israeli officials in July. He also highlighted Israel issuing about 16,000 permits for workers and businesses for Palestinians in Gaza, and a 1.5 per cent increase in imports and 54 per cent increase in exports through the main Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel to Gaza.
The resolution was approved by the Security Council when the US, in the final weeks of the Barack Obama administration, abstained rather than using its veto to support long-time ally Israel as it had done many times previously. The Donald Trump administration strongly opposed the resolution.
US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council on Wednesday that from day one, the Joe Biden administration had supported a two-state solution. This was a position Mr Biden emphasised to world leaders at last week’s high-level meeting at the General Assembly.
Ms Thomas-Greenfield said many leaders made similar calls, praising Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s “courageous and impassioned speech that articulated his vision of `two states for two peoples’.”
“The significance of his appeal for peace between Israelis and Palestinians should not be underestimated,” Ms Thomas-Greenfield said. “And I also want to acknowledge President [Mahmoud] Abbas’ stated commitment to non-violence and reaffirmation of his support for a two-state solution.”
She said now it was time “to turn these words into action” and make real progress, stressing that “there are no shortcuts to statehood.”
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, called for the Security Council to start enforcing its resolutions.
It should now propose “practical steps” to open the doors “for a meaningful political process” to begin implementing the “global consensus” for a two-state solution, he said.
Mr Wennesland warned that “the absence of a meaningful peace process to end the Israeli occupation and resolve the conflict is fuelling a dangerous deterioration” across the Palestinian territories, particularly the West Bank, “and driving the perception that the conflict is unresolvable”.
“Israelis and Palestinians must determine how they envision the future,” he said. “Negotiations can no longer be pushed indefinitely.”
“The current course is leading us towards a perpetual state of violence and conflict,” Mr Wennesland said. He said “meaningful initiatives” were needed quickly to turn this trajectory around.
Brief scores:
Manchester City 3
Bernardo Silva 16', Sterling 57', Gundogan 79'
Bournemouth 1
Wilson 44'
Man of the match: Leroy Sane (Manchester City)
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
John Cena v Triple H
Matches to be announced
WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended
Kandahar%20
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Results
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Nadhra, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Dars, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Taghzel, Malin Holmberg, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: M’Y Yaromoon, Khalifa Al Neyadi, Jesus Rosales
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (PA) 1,400m; Winner: Hakeem, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
88 Video's most popular rentals
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Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Day 4, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Not much was expected – on Sunday or ever – of Hasan Ali as a batsman. And yet he lit up the late overs of the Pakistan innings with a happy cameo of 29 from 25 balls. The highlight was when he launched a six right on top of the netting above the Pakistan players’ viewing area. He was out next ball.
Stat of the day – 1,358 There were 1,358 days between Haris Sohail’s previous first-class match and his Test debut for Pakistan. The lack of practice in the multi-day format did not show, though, as the left-hander made an assured half-century to guide his side through a potentially damaging collapse.
The verdict As is the fashion of Test matches in this country, the draw feels like a dead-cert, before a clatter of wickets on the fourth afternoon puts either side on red alert. With Yasir Shah finding prodigious turn now, Pakistan will be confident of bowling Sri Lanka out. Whether they have enough time to do so and chase the runs required remains to be seen.
THE TWIN BIO
Their favourite city: Dubai
Their favourite food: Khaleeji
Their favourite past-time : walking on the beach
Their favorite quote: ‘we rise by lifting others’ by Robert Ingersoll
