Days of Palestine – Jerusalem

British Consul General in Jerusalem Philip Hall said Monday that the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal and an obstacle to peace negotiations.

"We are talking frankly with the Israelis about the importance of stopping all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories," he added during an interview on the "Palestine This Morning Program" broadcast by Palestine Official TV.

The British Consul expressed his country's concern about the violence of Israeli settlers against Palestinian citizens, adding that the past five years were difficult, and there was no opportunity to improve the situation on the ground, especially since the previous US administration recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, which Britain rejected.

In the context of talking about British support for the Palestinian people, Hall said that Britain continues to provide financial support to the Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA), in addition to supporting the Palestinian health and education sectors through the Palestinian government.