Belgium has condemned Israel’s decision to advance settlement construction in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank, warning that the project would further fragment Palestinian territory.
In a joint statement issued on Friday, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom called Israel’s move to issue construction tenders “unacceptable.”
“The E1 settlement will compromise the prospects for a two-state solution by dividing the West Bank and undermining Palestinian territorial contiguity,” the countries said.
The planned settlement would cut the occupied West Bank between its northern and southern regions while separating occupied East Jerusalem from surrounding Palestinian communities.
The governments also stressed that “Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal,” citing international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions.
