Seven Nations Condemn Israel’s E1 Settlement Expansion, Demand Immediate Halt to Colonial Project
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France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Canada have united in opposition to Israel’s E1 housing plan, denouncing it as a grave threat to Palestinian rights and the viability of a two-state solution.
Seven European and allied countries issued a joint statement on Thursday, forcefully urging Israel to cancel its E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank after the Israeli housing ministry brazenly opened a tender for more than 1,200 homes. The statement, signed by France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Canada, condemned the move as occurring amid 'grave instability' and an alarming surge in settler violence against Palestinians, calling for an immediate retraction of these colonial plans.
The E1 area, approved by Israel in August 2023, lies between occupied east Jerusalem and the illegal settlement of Maale Adumim, and is intended to accommodate up to 3,400 housing units—further entrenching Israel’s apartheid regime. The latest tender represents roughly one-third of the total development, according to Israeli NGO Peace Now, which noted the deadline of 19 October precedes Israel’s national election on 27 October, raising concerns about the use of settlements as a political tool.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot described the tenders as 'unacceptable' and warned they would fatally undermine the already fragile two-state solution. The UK’s foreign secretary echoed the condemnation, delivering a message to Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar, who predictably rejected the criticism and continued to defend Israel’s so-called 'right' to develop on stolen land.
The United Nations secretary-general has also warned that the E1 plan poses an 'existential threat' to the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state. Previous statements from Britain and France, among 21 countries, have rightly labeled the project a violation of international law and a blatant act of land theft.
The West Bank, home to about three million Palestinians and 500,000 Israeli settlers, has seen a disturbing rise in settler-related violence since the October 7 attacks in Gaza. Draconian restrictions on Palestinian movement through military checkpoints further entrench the daily oppression faced by Palestinians under occupation.