Singapore says Israel’s West Bank expansion illegal, calls for halt to plans
It is also deeply concerned by the increase in settler violence against Palestinian civilians, said an MFA spokesperson.
Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has reaffirmed that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law, urging the Israeli government to cease its expansion plans. The Israeli government had recently released a tender for constructing over 1,200 housing units in the E1 area, which is situated east of East Jerusalem within the occupied West Bank.
The MFA spokesperson highlighted that this proposed construction would further fragment the West Bank and significantly hinder the prospects for a viable two-state solution. Approximately 3,700 Palestinians, mainly Bedouins residing in 18 villages, currently inhabit this area.
Singapore expressed deep concern over the rise in acts of settler violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and called for the Israeli government to take stringent measures to prevent such incidents and hold perpetrators accountable. The MFA reiterated Singapore’s position that a negotiated two-state solution, in line with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, remains the only feasible route towards achieving a comprehensive, just, and enduring peace in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Since the onset of the recent conflict on October 7, 2023, when militant group Hamas launched an attack from the Gaza Strip, over 73,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, according to figures from Palestinian health authorities. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that more than 2,039 Israelis have also succumbed to violence since that October attack.
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