EU: Israel’s settlements are illegal and must be stopped
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Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, stated that Israel recently announced that settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem and its surroundings will expand significantly.
Stating that the plans for the construction of about 5,000 houses for Jewish settlers endanger the existence of the Palestinian state, which will be the result of the future two-state solution, Borrell said:
“Settlements are illegitimate in international law. As it has consistently been stated, the EU will not accept any changes in pre-1967 borders, including Jerusalem, except as agreed by the parties. “The Israeli government must reverse these decisions and stop all ongoing settlement expansions in East Jerusalem and sensitive areas such as Har Homa, Givat Hamatos and E1.”
Borrell also stated that from March to August, the number of Palestinian structures destroyed or seized in the West Bank increased, “The EU repeats the call for Israel to stop such destruction.” used the expression.
Israeli authorities approved a plan to build around 5,000 homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank within two days. It is noteworthy that Israel continued its Jewish settlement building and expansion activities in the West Bank, following the normalization agreements it made with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain.
According to data from the Israeli human rights organization Peace Now, there are 13 illegal Jewish settlements in occupied East Jerusalem and 253 in the West Bank. More than 650,000 Jewish settlers residing in these places make life even more difficult for Palestinians living under occupation. According to international law, all Jewish settlements located in the occupied territories are considered illegal.
