U.N. envoy Nickolay Mladenov: Israel has ignored a demand by the United Nations Security Council to halt settlement building and some Palestinian groups are continuing to incite violence against Jews

It was Mladenov's first report on the implementation a Dec. 23 resolution adopted by the council with 14 votes in favor and a U.S. abstention.

Mladenov:

"The resolution calls on Israel to take steps 'to cease all settlements activities in the occupied Palestinian territory including east Jerusalem.' No such steps have been taken during the reporting period," Mladenov told the council.

"Many of the advancements that were made in the past three months will further sever the territorial contiguity of a future Palestinian state and accelerate the fragmentation of the West Bank," said Mladenov of settlements, adding that they were "one of the main obstacles to peace."

Mladenov also said an increase in rockets fired from Gaza toward Israel was a "worrying development" and described it as regrettable that Palestinian Authority officials had not condemned attacks against Israelis.

"The continued incitement to violence against Jews emanating from Hamas extremists and some Palestinian groups is unacceptable and undermines trust and the prospects for peace," he said.

"Reactions by Hamas officials to terror attacks against Israelis have been particularly reprehensible and deserve condemnation," Mladenov said.

Palestinian quote:

Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters: "Settlements need to be stopped, not only because they are illegal, but they are the main obstacle in the path of the two-state solution."

Israeli quote:

Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement on Friday: "There can be no moral equivalency between the building of homes and murderous terrorism. The only impediment to peace is Palestinian violence and incitement."

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