Doha: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the decision by the Israeli government to resume land registration procedures in Area C of the occupied West Bank, warning that it could lead to the dispossession of Palestinians and further expand Israeli control over the land in the area.

According to Qatar News Agency, UN spokesperson Stephan Dujarric said at a press conference that such measures, including Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, not only undermine stability but are also illegal, as confirmed by the International Court of Justice.

Dujarric added that the Secretary-General calls on the Israeli government to immediately reverse these measures, warning once again that the current course on the ground undermines the prospects for a two-state solution.

The Secretary-General reiterates that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as the regime associated with them, have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of international law and relevant UN resolutions.

The UN spokesperson added that the Secretary-General calls on all parties to preserve the only viable path to achieving lasting peace - a negotiated two-state solution in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and international law.

The Israeli government had earlier approved a resolution allowing for the seizure of Palestinian lands in the West Bank by registering them as state property for the first time since 1967.