RAMALLAH, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekat Wednesday urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to start an official investigation into Israeli settlement in the Palestinian territories.

"The ICC must open an official investigation into settlements and Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories," Erekat told the official Palestinian Radio Station, describing 2018 as a year that "witnessed a destruction of humanitarian and ethical values with the continuation of occupation and settlements."

He added that the Palestinian leadership will continue to use its right in the UN Security Council and other international organization to combat the Israeli settlement and push the efforts of the UN Human Rights Council to announce the blacklist of companies that deal with settlements.

A statement of the Palestinian Foreign Ministry accused the United States of "full bias and adoption of Israeli colonial expansionist policies that has encouraged the ruling right wing to advance its Judaizing projects in Palestine."

Israeli settlement activity, deemed illegal by most world powers and under the international law, is considered one of the thorniest issues that hindered the peace talks between Palestinians and Israeli. It continues to be one of the main issues of disagreement since the stop of the peace talks in 2014.