On the 14th, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres' spokesperson Dujarric issued a media statement pointing out that Guterres is urging the Israeli government to immediately halt its plans to advance the settlement construction in the 'E1 area' of the West Bank.
The statement said that the UN's position is very clear: settlements established and maintained by Israel in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and their related regime, are in violation of international law. Settlements further entrench the occupation, heighten tensions, and systematically undermine the viability of a Palestinian state as part of the two-state solution.
The statement noted that building settlements in the 'E1 area' will sever the north-south connection of the West Bank and severely undermine prospects for establishing a viable and contiguous Palestinian state. The Secretary-General calls on the Israeli government to immediately halt this process, and once again urges Israel to fulfill its obligations under international law and to cease all settlement activity.
EU Urges Halt to the Plan
On the 14th, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kallas, issued a statement urging Israel to stop advancing settlement construction plans in the 'E1 area' of the West Bank and warning that this move would further undermine the two-state solution and violate international law.
In her statement, she noted that if Israel implements this plan, it would permanently cut off the geographic and territorial contiguity between occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and sever the connection between the northern and southern parts of the West Bank.
The statement reiterated the EU's call for Israel to halt settlement construction, emphasizing that Israel must stop its settlement policy, including demolitions, forced transfers, evictions, and housing confiscations. These unilateral actions by Israel, combined with ongoing settler violence and military operations, are heightening tensions in the area and further eroding the prospects for peace.
The statement said that the EU urges Israel to halt the decision to advance settlement construction in the 'E1 area' and points out the necessity of considering action to safeguard the viability of the two-state solution.
On the 13th, Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich issued a statement saying that he plans to approve the construction of 3,401 housing units in the highly controversial 'E1 area' between Jerusalem to the east and the West Bank Jewish settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, with the aim of 'burying the idea of a Palestinian state.'
According to Israeli media reports, this move would divide the West Bank into north and south sections and make it impossible to connect the Palestinian areas of East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Ramallah.