RAMALLAH, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian government on Tuesday condemned Israel's approval of about 300 million U.S. dollars for settlement roads in the West Bank, calling it a "flagrant violation" of international law.
In a statement after its weekly meeting in Ramallah, the government said the move supports settlement expansion and comes as violence rises. It said more than 1,600 settler and Israeli force attacks were recorded in April, including assaults, crop damage, and home demolitions.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the Israeli government approved more than 1 billion shekels for the road project, with initial planning funds already set aside.
Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 war, and its settlement expansion is widely considered illegal by most of the international community.
Separately, the Palestinian government warned of "serious diseases" spreading in Gaza due to poor sanitation, water contamination, and damaged sewage systems. It said insect and rodent populations are rising and urged urgent international help.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said Gaza residents are increasingly suffering from skin infections, with its teams treating about 40 percent of reported cases. The World Health Organization has reported more than 17,000 rodent- and parasite-linked infections this year. ■
