Sri Lanka’s permanent representative to the United Nations has urged that the Israel-Palestine conflict must be resolved “urgently”.

Palitha Kohona addressed an open meeting of the Security Council in New York and unashamedly criticised the building of settlements and demolishing of Palestinian homes, saying it “fuels resentment”, ignoring his own country’s activities of land-grabbing and the demolition of Tamil homes, religious buildings and war cemeteries.

“Peace between Israel and Palestine will be an answer to a longstanding wish of the international community." Kohona said at the UN.

“It is an essential condition, that tension provoking activities be ceased by all parties,

“Israel’s continuing settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are a critical sticking point. The resumption of talks has become tied to this issue.

“Israel’s practice of demolishing Palestinian homes is a matter of concern and fuels resentment,

“The continuation of this practice cannot contribute to confidence building or the peace process.

"It should be emphasised that Israel must not undertake actions that are contrary to the established rules of international law.”

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