New York, Dhu-AlHijjah 15, 1437, Sep 16, 2016, SPA -- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday he was "disturbed" by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent remarks portraying those opposing Israeli settlement expansion on the West Bank as supporters of ethnic cleansing, dpa reported. Ban, who briefed the UN Security Council on the Israeli-Palestinian question, said that Netanyahu's comments last week condemning those who want a halt to Israeli settlement construction were "unacceptable and outrageous." "Let me be absolutely clear: settlements are illegal under international law," Ban said. "The occupation, stifling and oppressive, must end." The UN chief added that the international community was "universally" of the view that settlement expansion was "an obstacle to peace." Israel's UN ambassador Danny Danon later issued a statement criticising Ban's statement at the council. "This is a distorted view of the situation," Danon said. "The obstacle to peace starts and ends with Palestinian incitement to terrorism." -- SPA 02:17 LOCAL TIME 23:17 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w