Israel PM Netanyahu signs West Bank settlement plan, denies Palestinian state

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signed an agreement to advance a controversial settlement expansion project in the occupied West Bank, specifically in the sensitive E1 area near Maale Adumim. Netanyahu emphatically declared that there will be no Palestinian state, asserting that the land belongs to Israel and pledging to double the population of Maale Adumim while safeguarding Israel's heritage and security. The E1 project, involving plans to build approximately 3,400 new homes, has been stalled for years due to international opposition but recently received final approval from Israel's defense ministry planning commission. The expansion would effectively bisect the West Bank and isolate East Jerusalem, a move condemned by the United Nations, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warning it poses an existential threat to the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state. Israel's settlements in the West Bank have been deemed illegal under international law, and this development risks further straining Israel's relations with Western allies, some of whom plan to recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations. Far-right Israeli ministers have openly advocated for annexation of the West Bank, signaling a hardening stance on Palestinian statehood.