NEW YORK CITY: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Monday that the approval by Israeli authorities of new administrative and enforcement measures in the West Bank undermine the prospects for a two-state solution.

Israel’s Security Cabinet this weekend approved new rules designed to strengthen control over the occupied West Bank, make it easier for Israeli settlers to buy land there and give Israeli officials stronger powers to enforce laws on Palestinians.

Guterres said he was “gravely concerned” by the reported decision to authorize the new measures in Areas A and B of the West Bank, warning that the current trajectory of developments on the ground was eroding the possibility of a negotiated settlement between Israelis and Palestinians.

He reiterated that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, lack legal validity and constitute a “flagrant violation of international law.”

Such actions, including Israel’s continuing presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, were destabilizing and unlawful, he added, as recalled by the International Court of Justice.

Guterres called on Israeli authorities to reverse their decision and urged all parties to safeguard what he described as the only viable path to lasting peace: a negotiated two-state solution in line with international law and Security Council resolutions.

Israel has rejected international criticism of its settlement policies and disputes claims that they violate international law.