Brazil, Mexico, Latin America allies denounce Israel's settlement moves

Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico on Friday decried Israel's recent decision to 'legalise' settlements in the occupied West Bank.

A statement issued by Brazil's foreign ministry and signed by the four nations expressed "deep concern" about Israel's announcement last Sunday that it would retroactively 'legalise' nine existing outposts in the West Bank and greenlight the construction of nearly 10,000 new settlement homes.

"These unilateral measures constitute serious violations of international law and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council," said the statement.

The return of leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to the Brazilian presidency on 1 January ended a four-year period of the South American country's alignment with Israel under his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, who had even mooted moving Brazil's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

In their statement, the Latin American governments called on both sides "to refrain from acts and provocations that could promote a new escalation of violence" in the region, and urged negotiations for a "peaceful solution" to the longstanding conflict.

All Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory breach international law. Until Sunday, even Israel viewed the nine outposts as illegal.

The Latin American countries' criticism comes as the UN Security Council considers a Palestinian-backed draft resolution which demands an immediate halt to all Israeli settlement activities.

The resolution, a copy of which was obtained on Thursday by The Associated Press, would demand an immediate halt to all Israeli settlement activities, condemn Israeli attempts to annex settlements and outposts, and "call for their immediate reversal".

The council is "likely" to vote on the resolution on Monday, The New Arab's Arabic sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported on Friday. 

It also comes after Switzerland on Thursday urged Israel to "renounce" its decision to 'legalise' the outposts and greenlight the thousands of new settlement homes.

"Switzerland calls on Israel to renounce these unilateral measures, which risk further exacerbating tensions and endanger a negotiated two-state solution," a statement by its foreign ministry said.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, the foreign ministers of the US, UK, France, Germany and Italy said they were "deeply troubled" by the Israeli announcement. 

"We strongly oppose these unilateral actions which will only serve to exacerbate tensions between Israelis and Palestinians and undermine efforts to achieve a negotiated two-state solution," they said.

Qatar on Monday said it "condemns in the strongest terms" the moves, saying "this step is a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter, the principles of international law, and relevant United Nations resolutions".

Turkey also issued a condemnation, calling on Israel to "end its action which may trigger a new spiral of violence in the region and contravene international law and the established UN parameters".

There are now more than half a million Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, a pro-settler group said earlier this month.

The report, by WestBankJewishPopulationStats.com and based on official figures, showed the settler population grew to 502,991 as of 1 January, rising more than 2.5 percent in 12 months and nearly 16 percent over the last five years.

The settler population report does not include East Jerusalem - which Israel illegally annexed in 1980 in a move not recognised by the international community - where more than 200,000 settlers live.

The West Bank and East Jerusalem are together home to some three million Palestinians.