International Condemnation of Israeli Settlement Plans
A group of fourteen nations has issued a joint statement criticizing Israel's recent authorization of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. The countries, including Britain, Canada, Denmark, and France, stated that this action violates international law and poses a risk to the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, as well as to long-term regional stability.
"We, States of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom condemn the approval by the Israeli security cabinet of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank," according to the statement. They emphasized their opposition to annexation and settlement expansion, urging Israel to reverse the decision.
The statement added, "We recall our clear opposition to any form of annexation and to the expansion of settlement policies," and called on Israel to change course. It also reaffirmed support for Palestinian self-determination and a two-state solution for lasting peace.
Israeli Official's Remarks
On Sunday, Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the approval, explicitly stating it aims to prevent the establishment of a future Palestinian state. "We are stopping the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state on the ground," Smotrich said, according to The Times of Israel. "We will continue to develop, build and settle in the land of our ancestors." He noted that since late 2022, the government has approved or legalized 69 new settlements.
Earlier this month, the United Nations reported that Israeli settlement expansion in occupied Palestinian territory has reached its highest level since at least 2017. The UN views this as a major obstacle to peace, as it fragments land needed for a viable Palestinian state under a two-state framework.
Impact on Palestinians
Al Jazeera's correspondent Nour Odeh commented that the Israeli government's decision is altering the reality for Palestinians, with many new settlements concentrated in the northeastern West Bank, an area previously less affected. "While these government decisions may seem bureaucratic, they are in fact strategic in nature," Odeh wrote. "They support the more ideological and often more violent settlers entrenching their presence and taking over yet more Palestinian land, and becoming more brazen in their attacks against Palestinians, which are unprecedented in scope and effect."
