Fourteen countries, including Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, and Japan, have strongly condemned Israel’s approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, calling the move illegal under international law and a threat to regional stability. The statement emphasizes that the expansion risks undermining the fragile Gaza ceasefire and long-term peace and security in the region.

“We recall our clear opposition to any form of annexation and to the expansion of settlement policies,” the joint statement read. “We call on Israel to reverse this decision, as well as the expansion of settlements.”

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Countries Condemning Israel’s Settlement Expansion

The countries issuing the statement were:

• Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom

They collectively expressed “resolute support” for the Palestinian people and reaffirmed commitment to a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace based on the Two-State solution, stressing Palestinians’ right to self-determination.

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Israel Responds to International Criticism

Israel swiftly rejected the criticism, calling it “discriminatory”. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said:

“Foreign governments will not restrict the right of Jews to live in the Land of Israel, and any such call is morally wrong and discriminatory against Jews.”

The settlement expansion plans were announced by Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who framed the decision as a way to prevent the establishment of a future Palestinian state. Smotrich stated:

“We are stopping the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state on the ground. We will continue to develop, build and settle in the land of our ancestors.”

Since the government took office at the end of 2022, Smotrich reported that 69 new settlements have been approved or retroactively legalised, highlighting Israel’s ongoing expansion strategy in the occupied territory.

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UN and International Perspectives

The United Nations has repeatedly emphasized that all Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law and represent a significant obstacle to peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

The UN also noted that settlement expansion had reached its highest level since at least 2017, further reducing contiguous territory for a potential Palestinian state under a Two-State solution.

Al Jazeera correspondent Nour Odeh highlighted that many of the newly formalized settlements are in the northeastern West Bank, an area previously less affected by settlement activity.

“These government decisions may seem bureaucratic, but they are strategic in nature,” Odeh said. “They support ideological settlers entrenching their presence, taking over Palestinian land, and escalating attacks against Palestinians.”

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Impact on Palestinians

The expansion of settlements has significant consequences for Palestinian communities:

• Displacement from ancestral lands
• Destruction of livelihoods, including olive trees and agricultural land
• Increased tensions and violence from settlers
• Reduced prospects for a contiguous, independent Palestinian state

Human rights groups and international observers warn that the settlement expansion exacerbates the humanitarian situation in the West Bank and undermines ongoing peace efforts.