Fourteen countries, including Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom, condemned in a joint statement the Israeli security cabinet’s approval of the construction of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The statement emphasized that such unilateral actions not only violate international law, but also increase the risk of instability and could jeopardize the implementation of the Gaza Comprehensive Plan and the prospects for long-term peace in the region.
These countries called on Israel to reverse this decision and halt settlement expansion in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2334.
The statement comes as Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank has reached its highest level since 2017.
