Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japan expressed serious concern over Israel’s plan to advance the construction of over 4,000 settlement housing units in the West Bank.

An official statement by the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo also strongly condemned what it described as a terror attack on June 20 that killed four Israelis in the West Bank and the following rampages against Palestinians on the same day.

The statement said settlement expansion violates international law, and Japan has repeatedly called upon the Israeli government to freeze those activities fully.

The statement accused Israel of destabilizing the region by its settlement expansion “which goes against efforts by the international community to create a political horizon toward a two-state solution.”

“Amid the deteriorating security situation, as exemplified by the recent clashes in Jenin, it is essential for all the parties concerned to refrain from unilateral actions, including settlement activities and provocative behavior, to prevent further escalation,” the Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry highlighted the importance of the Aqaba and Sharm El Sheikh communique and said Japan strongly calls on all the parties concerned to take concrete steps to ensure de-escalation.