UK, France, Germany, Italy and Canada condemn Israel's West Bank settlement project

The UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Canada have strongly condemned Israel's plan to open tenders for constructing approximately 1,200 settlement homes in a strategic area of the occupied West Bank. The Western powers consider the decision "unacceptable" and "external," urging Israel to retract the plans immediately. All settlements are deemed illegal under international law, and Israel's expansion has dealt a significant blow to hopes for a two-state solution, effectively dividing the West Bank and isolating East Jerusalem.

At a time of heightened instability in the West Bank with increased violence by settlers against civilians and severe restrictions on the Palestinian economy, the decision is particularly concerning. The statement, published on Thursday, emphasized that the plans would push Israel further from peace and diminish its international standing.

The UN secretary general also expressed concern, stating that the E1 plan poses an "existential threat" to a contiguous Palestinian state. Belgium's foreign minister echoed this sentiment. Despite an Israeli court challenge and opposition from Israeli peace groups, the Israeli housing ministry issued a tender for 1,234 of the 3,401 housing units approved by the Israeli government last August.

The deadline for bids is October 19, just days before Israel's general election on October 27, making it more difficult for a future government to overturn the tenders. Israel has built around 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jews since the 1967 Middle East war, with an estimated 3.3 million Palestinians living alongside them. Despite strong international opposition, successive Israeli governments have allowed settlements to expand, a trend that has accelerated under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing, pro-settler coalition since 2022.