EU to Israel: “The decision to establish over 30 new settlements in the West Bank is illegal”

Brussels – “Israel’s recent decision to establish over 30 new settlements in the occupied West Bank is illegal under international law and seriously undermines the prospects for peace and the two-state solution”. This was stated by the European Union’s spokesperson for the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Anouar El Anouni, on Israel’s recent decision regarding new settlements. “The European Union strongly condemns Israel’s unilateral actions aimed at expanding its presence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion of 19 July 2024 declared illegal, and urges the Israeli government to revoke these decisions, to respect its obligations under international law, and to protect the Palestinian population in the occupied territories,” he added. “We equally condemn the ongoing and escalating violence by settlers against Palestinian civilians,” the spokesperson further notes. “The European Union reaffirms its commitment to a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace based on the two-state solution, in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, in which two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognised borders,” he concluded.