The number of Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land have doubled in the past 54 months, UN Commission on Human Rights member Cees Flinterman said ton October 31.

Middle East Monitor said that day that Flinterman presented the fourth stage of a report monitoring activity of Israel's practices in Palestinian territory.

He said: “We are concerned by the level of violence that settlers are using against Palestinian civilians and property owners in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem.”

The UN official asked Israel to halt settlement expansion on occupied Palestinian land, adding: “We have yet to receive an official response from Israel in regards to the increased number of settlements in the West Bank.”

Flinterman also expressed his disappointment at the fact that the Israeli government refuses to recognise that torture is a crime.

He said: “The torture and mistreatment that Israel practices in detention centres is a serious problem and we call on Israel to address them within a year's time.”

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