Fourteen countries, including Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, and others, have condemned Israel’s approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, calling the move a violation of international law and a threat to regional stability. The statement, issued late Wednesday, urged Tel Aviv to reverse its decision and reaffirmed the international community’s support for a two-state solution where Israel and Palestine coexist peacefully.
The new settlements were greenlit by Israel’s far-right security cabinet, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a vocal supporter of settlement expansion, framing the decision as a measure to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. “On the ground, we are blocking the establishment of a Palestinian terror state,” Smotrich said, underlining his justification for expanding Israeli presence in the territory.
The 14-country statement criticized the unilateral decision, warning that it could destabilize the fragile Gaza ceasefire that has been in place since October 10. “Such unilateral actions, as part of a wider intensification of settlement policies in the West Bank, not only violate international law but also risk fuelling instability,” the statement said, emphasizing that continued settlement expansion undermines prospects for peace.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected the international criticism, asserting that the move addresses Israel’s security concerns. Saar said in a social media post that foreign governments “will not restrict the right of Jews to live in the Land of Israel” and described the international statement as “morally wrong and discriminatory against Jews.” He added that the cabinet decision, which establishes 11 new settlements and formalizes eight others, was intended in part to mitigate security threats faced by Israel.
The Palestinian Authority in Ramallah also condemned the settlement approvals, calling them a continuation of “apartheid, settlement, and annexation policies that undermine the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.” Palestinian leaders argue that the expansions further tighten Israeli control over Palestinian land and diminish the viability of a future Palestinian state.
Since Israel’s October 2023 offensive in Gaza, international attention has increasingly focused on calls for the recognition of a Palestinian state. The West Bank, occupied by Israel since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, is home to more than 500,000 Israeli settlers alongside approximately three million Palestinian residents. The latest approvals bring the total number of settlements authorized by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government over the past three years to 69, marking a record high for one of Israel’s most right-wing administrations.
The United Nations has previously warned that the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, all deemed illegal under international law, has reached its highest level since at least 2017. With tensions rising, the latest approvals risk further complicating the already fragile peace process in the region.
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