Shtayyeh said settlement expansion was a continuation of the Nakba RIYADH: Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called on UNESCO to place pressure on Israel to stop its development of a settlement near the historic village of Sebastia in Nablus, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday. During a weekly session convened by the Palestinian government, Shtayyeh warned of the consequences of the settlement plan on historical landmarks, including a building in Hebron. Shtayyeh said that the settlement development is a continuation of the Nakba, or “Catastrophe,” which resulted in the mass displacement of Palestinians. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, which will be commemorated for the first time by the UN at its headquarters in New York. The commemoration will witness the participation of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who expressed optimism that it would mark the start of an effective international response to the “ethnic cleansing” that the occupation is committing against the Palestinian people.