A group of 14 countries, including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, has strongly condemned Israel’s decision to establish 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank.
“We call on Israel to reverse this decision and halt the expansion of settlements, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2334,” the countries said in a joint statement, as reported by Reuters.
The statement emphasized that this unilateral action, which forms part of a broader intensification of settlement policy in the West Bank, constitutes a violation of international law and risks further destabilizing the region.
The countries also warned that the move could undermine efforts to implement a peace plan for Gaza, even as international initiatives are underway to transition to a second phase of the process.
The declaration was supported by representatives from Germany, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Spain, France, Italy, Ireland, Iceland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
They reiterated their firm commitment to a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace, based on a two-state solution, in which Israel and Palestine coexist as democratic states, living side by side in peace and security within safe and recognized borders.
