Antonio Guterres
Antonio GuterresReuters

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed concern on Wednesday over Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s plan to apply sovereignty to the Jordan Valley if re-elected.

In a statement quoted by Reuters, Guterres warned the move would be illegal and would gut then prospects for regional peace.

“Such steps, if implemented, would constitute a serious violation of international law,” he said.

“They would be devastating to the potential of reviving negotiations and regional peace, while severely undermining the viability of the two-state solution,” added the UN chief.

Netanyahu on Tuesday evening said that, if re-elected, he would apply sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea area.

The announcement was criticized by the European Union (EU), which warned that annexation would “undermine chances for peace in the region.”

Netanyahu was also condemned by Arab and Muslim countries, which said that Netanyahu’s announcement “constitutes a dangerous development and a new Israeli aggression.”

Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas was furious following Netanyahu’s announcement and threatened to end all agreements with Israel should Netanyahu go through with the plan.