UN welcomes countries' move to restrict trade with illegal Israeli settlements

The United Nations human rights office on Tuesday commended the plans by the 12 countries to introduce restrictions on trade in goods with illegal Israeli settlements. “The seriousness of the situation in the West Bank calls for urgent and concrete measures,” said the spokesperson to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk. Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Presidency also issued statements on Tuesday welcoming the measures by 11 European countries and Canada to sanction illegal Israeli settlements.