UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday regretted Washington's announcement that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory will no longer be considered illegal.

"As far as we are concerned, we remain guided by relevant Security Council resolutions. We remain committed to supporting the Palestinians and Israelis to achieve lasting and durable peace based on those resolutions," 

Security Council Resolution 2334 states that Israeli settlement activities are a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace, he said. "And that remains the secretary-general's position."

"We very much regret the announcement made (by the United States) -- and obviously not only the announcement, but the substance of the announcement. But for us, our own position -- the way we view it -- remains unchanged."

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Monday that Washington will no longer consider Israel's West Bank settlements inconsistent with international law, in a reversal to the Obama administration's position on the issue.

font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Isn't it in violation of the Security Council's contracts and international law? "The UN's stand on the Israeli settlements remains intact, so far as our concerns are concerned, we will continue to seek guidance from relevant Security Council contractors," he said.