UN's Ban "deplores" Israel demolition of hotel

UNITED NATIONS | Mon Jan 10, 2011 12:59pm EST

UNITED NATIONS Jan 10 (Reuters) - The U.N. chief "deplores" Israel's demolition of the Shepherd Hotel in East Jerusalem and said it only served to heighten tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, a U.N. spokesman said on Monday.

"It is deeply regrettable that growing international concern at unilateral expansion of illegal Israeli settlements is not being heeded," U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said in a statement summarizing Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's reaction to the Israeli move.

(Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Source: Reuters