UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has condemned the Israeli plans of building new settlements in East Jerusalem. In a statement in New York, he said construction of these settlements is illegal which undermines any movement towards a viable peace process in the Middle East. The UN chief said the world body has lodged a protest with the Israeli government and it is also advising the Palestinian leadership to forge ahead with indirect negotiations for resolving the Middle East dispute. The move has also been condemned by the international community including the European Union, the Arab League and the United States.