UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday he was "deeply troubled" by Israel's decision to allow construction of three new Jewish settlements in the West Bank, according to dpa. "All settlement activity is illegal under international law," Ban said. He said he was disappointed that such a decision was made at a time when Israel and the Palestinians were renewing efforts to restart dialogue to end their decades-long conflict. Ban said Israel has an obligation under the peace roadmap laid out by the UN, the European Union, the United States and Russia, known as the quartet, to refrain from "provocations" like constructing new Jewish settlements in disputed areas. The three approved outposts include Sansana, Rechelim and Bruchin in the West Bank.
