EU Addresses West Bank Settlement Expansion
In an official statement, European Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said the release of a tender deadline for 3,401 new housing units under the E1 project, together with progress on building the so-called “Sovereignty Road,” amounts to what he described as a “grave provocation.”
The EU also expressed alarm over additional settlement proposals in Atarot and Nahalat Shimon, both located in East Jerusalem, warning that these plans further inflame tensions on the ground.
El Anouni stressed that Israel’s settlement strategy poses a major barrier to achieving peace, increases the likelihood of heightened instability in the West Bank, risks the displacement of thousands of Palestinians, fragments Palestinian territory, and fuels further actions by violent settlers.
He added that ongoing settlement expansion severely weakens the prospects of a viable two-state solution, with Jerusalem envisioned as the shared capital of both a Palestinian and an Israeli state.
The EU called on the Israeli government to immediately roll back settlement expansion, emphasizing that such activities are illegal under international law and noting a recent surge in approvals for new settlement projects across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
The bloc also reaffirmed its demand that Israel comply with its obligations under international law and ensure the safety and rights of the Palestinian population living in the occupied territories.
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