The Palestinians say Israel is wrecking prospects for a two-state solution by "deliberately waging illegal and destructive" settlement action. Their protest letter to the UN Security Council comes just ahead of a Quartet meeting in Washington.

Palestinian UN observer Riyad Mansour sent the letter just two days before the Mideast Quartet mediators – the US, UN, European Union and Russia – are due to meet in Washington to discuss the long-stalled peace process.

Israel "continues its systematic destruction of the two-state solution with its continuing illegal settlement campaign," Mansour wrote. He accused the settlement campaign of "being deliberately waged in an attempt to seize more Palestinian land and entrench… control over the Palestinian territory." Palestinians appeal to the international community and especially to the Security Council "to condemn Israel's illegal settlement activities" and take urgent measures to pressure Israel to immediately halt new construction.