Palestinians hail U.N. report on companies with Israeli settlement ties

The Palestinian foreign minister hailed the release on Wednesday of a U.N. Rights office report on companies with Israeli settlement ties and urged the international community to press the businesses to cut their links with the enclaves. "The publication of the list of companies and parties operating in settlements is a victory for international law," said a statement issued by Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki's office.

Maliki urged UN-member states and the UN Human Rights Council to "issue recommendations and instructions to these companies to end their work immediately with the settlements."