NEW YORK, June 20 — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres yesterday urged Israel to halt and reverse what he described as troubling and alarming decisions on settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, a UN spokesperson said.

"The Secretary-General reiterates that settlements are a flagrant violation of international law. They are a major obstacle to the realization of a viable two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace,” deputy UN. spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement.

"The expansion of these illegal settlements is a significant driver of tensions and violence and deepens humanitarian needs,” Haq said. — Reuters