Seven Nations Urge Israel to Halt E1 Settlement Project in West Bank
France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Norway and Canada called on Israel to stop the E1 housing plan, saying it threatens the viability of a two-state solution.
Seven European and allied countries issued a joint statement on Thursday urging Israel to cancel the E1 settlement project in the West Bank after the Israeli housing ministry opened a tender for more than 1,200 homes. The statement, signed by France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Norway and Canada, said the move comes amid “grave instability” and heightened violence by settlers, and it called for an immediate retraction of the plans.
The E1 area, approved by Israel in August 2023, lies between east Jerusalem and the settlement of Maale Adumim and is intended to accommodate up to 3,400 housing units. 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.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot described the tenders as “unacceptable” and warned they would undermine the two-state solution. The UK’s foreign secretary echoed the condemnation, delivering a message to Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar, who rejected the criticism and defended Israel’s right to develop the area.
The United Nations secretary-general has also warned that the E1 plan poses an “existential threat” to a contiguous Palestinian state. Previous statements from Britain and France, among 21 countries, have labeled the project a violation of international law.
The West Bank, home to about three million Palestinians and 500,000 Israeli settlers, has seen a rise in settler-related violence since the Oct. 7 attacks in Gaza. Restrictions on Palestinian movement through checkpoints further complicate the situation.