Settlement freeze in the West Bank – SecGen associate spokesperson – Press briefing highlights (excerpts)

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

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**Questions and Answers

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Question:  Farhan, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has announced a ten-month partial freeze on settlement activities in the West Bank, excluding Jerusalem.  Has this been conveyed to the Secretary-General?  Does he have any reaction?

Associate Spokesperson:  It has not been formally conveyed to the Secretary-General.  We do expect to react to it once it is.  One of the things that has been happening in recent days is that the Middle East Quartet has been discussing the situation of settlements, including any possible developments on this.  And certainly if this is formally conveyed, I do believe that the Quartet will be discussing this.

Question:  Just a follow up on this question, you know that Human Rights Watch sent a letter to Mr. Ban Ki-moon and asked him not to take this step and to see whether or how far the Palestinians and the Israelis are committed to the investigations they claim that they’re going to make about the violations in the Gaza war.  Do you have any reaction to this?

Associate Spokesperson:  As far as that goes, as you know, the Secretary-General all along has been asking for credible domestic investigations by the Israelis and the Palestinians into the Gaza violence.  And so we’re monitoring to see what they will do.  Clearly if they’re willing to do that, that would be something in line with what the Secretary-General has been asking for.  Right now the Secretary-General has a request from the General Assembly to report back on the implementation of the General Assembly’s own resolution responding to the Goldstone report.  And what we’re working on is to report back within the timeline offered to us about the implementation.

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For information media • not an official record