UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday condemned the Israeli government's decision to resume land registration procedures in Area C of the occupied West Bank, following a cabinet decision in May 2025, his spokesperson said in a statement.

The decision on Sunday "could lead to the dispossession of Palestinians of their property and risks expanding Israeli control over land in the area," said a statement issued by spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

Such measures, including Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, "are not only destabilizing but, as recalled by the International Court of Justice, unlawful," it added.

The UN chief called on the Israeli government to immediately reverse these measures, and again warned that the current trajectory on the ground is eroding the prospect for the two-state solution, the statement said.

Guterres reiterated that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the regime associated with them, have no legal validity and are in flagrant violation of international law and relevant UN resolutions.

"The Secretary-General calls on all parties to preserve the only path to lasting peace, a negotiated two-State solution, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions and international law," the statement said. ■