Fourteen countries, including Canada, the UK, France, and Germany, condemned Israel’s approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. Officials said the move violates international law and risks destabilizing the fragile Gaza ceasefire. The joint statement expressed deep concern and urged Israel to reverse the plan.
The countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom, emphasized opposition to annexation and settlement expansion. They reaffirmed support for Palestinian self-determination and called for adherence to international law. Officials stressed that settlements threaten prospects for a future Palestinian state.
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Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich defended the expansion, saying it prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state. He added that authorities would continue to develop, build, and settle in historically Jewish lands. Since late 2022, Israel has approved or legalized 69 settlements.
The United Nations highlighted that Israeli settlement expansion has reached its highest level since 2017. UN officials said these settlements fragment Palestinian territory, undermining the two-state solution. The construction is seen as a major obstacle to lasting peace.
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Observers noted the new settlements are strategically concentrated in northeastern West Bank areas with historically little settlement activity. Analysts warn this approach complicates the creation of a contiguous, independent Palestinian state under a two-state framework.