21 Countries Condemn Israel Approval of West Bank E1 Settlement

Twenty-one countries, including Britain, France, Canada, Japan, Australia, and multiple European Union members, issued a joint statement condemning Israel's approval of a major settlement project in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank as "unacceptable" and a violation of international law. The plan involves building approximately 3,400 homes on a sensitive tract of land east of Jerusalem, linking the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim to the city and effectively severing the territorial contiguity of any future Palestinian state. The foreign ministers warned that this move undermines the possibility of a two-state solution, fuels violence and instability, and threatens both Israeli security and regional peace. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich openly stated that the E1 plan would make a two-state solution impossible by dividing Palestinian territory and restricting Palestinian access to Jerusalem. The statement called on Israel to immediately reverse the decision and comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2334, emphasizing that unilateral settlement expansions obstruct negotiated peace efforts. The move has also faced strong criticism from the Palestinian Authority, the UN Secretary-General, and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.