"The Israeli occupation of Arab and Palestinian territories must end," Ban said during Reform and Transition to Democracy Conference held in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Sunday.
 
He also urged an end to use of violence against civilians.

The aim of the conference, according to its outline, is to offer the decision-makers of ’emerging democracies’ in the Arab world the chance to interact with other leaders, whose countries have faced similar challenges.
 
Israel has been repeatedly criticized by the international community for occupying the Palestinian lands and constructing illegal settlements on them.
 
According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Israeli troopers demolished 431 Palestinian buildings throughout 2010 and another 356 in the first six months of 2011. More than 1000 Palestinians were displaced due to the destructions in 2011.
 
The destructions have been carried out coincidentally with Israel’s building illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem.
 
More than 310,000 Israelis currently live in illegal settlements in the West Bank and about 200,000 reside in such settlements in occupied East Jerusalem.
 
Tel Aviv occupied the two Palestinian territories in 1967 and later annexed them. The international community has refused to recognize either move.
 
(Press TV)