UN Chief Urges Israel to Halt, Reverse Settlement Decisions

FILE PHOTO: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at a press conference at the United Nations complex in Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya May 3, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at a press conference at the United Nations complex in Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya May 3, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File Photo
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UN Chief Urges Israel to Halt, Reverse Settlement Decisions

FILE PHOTO: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at a press conference at the United Nations complex in Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya May 3, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at a press conference at the United Nations complex in Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya May 3, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File Photo

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged Israel to halt and reverse what he described as troubling and alarming decisions on settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, a UN spokesperson said.

"The Secretary-General reiterates that settlements are a flagrant violation of international law. They are a major obstacle to the realization of a viable two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace," deputy UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement.

"The expansion of these illegal settlements is a significant driver of tensions and violence and deepens humanitarian needs," Haq said.



Sudan Says it Conditionally Accepts Invitation to US-Sponsored Peace Talks

 A displaced Sudanese woman walks next to a flooded street, following a heavy rainfall in Kassala, Sudan, July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
A displaced Sudanese woman walks next to a flooded street, following a heavy rainfall in Kassala, Sudan, July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
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Sudan Says it Conditionally Accepts Invitation to US-Sponsored Peace Talks

 A displaced Sudanese woman walks next to a flooded street, following a heavy rainfall in Kassala, Sudan, July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
A displaced Sudanese woman walks next to a flooded street, following a heavy rainfall in Kassala, Sudan, July 26, 2024. (Reuters)

Sudan's government has conditionally accepted an invitation to attend US-sponsored peace talks in Geneva, the Sudanese foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Sudan has asked for a meeting with US officials to prepare for the peace negotiations, the statement added.

More than 10 million people have been displaced by fighting between Sudan's national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that erupted in April 2023, in what the United Nations says is the world's largest humanitarian crisis.