EU condemns Israel's plans to advance West Bank settlement expansion

The EU called on Israel to immediately halt the E1 settlement project in the West Bank, warning that recent steps to advance settlement expansion pose a threat to peace and regional stability.

In a statement, the EU said the publication of the tender deadline for 3,401 housing units under the E1 plan, along with progress on construction of the so-called "Sovereignty Road," constitutes "a serious provocation."

The bloc also voiced concern over settlement plans in Atarot and Nahalat Shimon in East Jerusalem.

The EU said Israel’s settlement policy represents "an obstacle to peace, carries the risk of further instability in the West Bank, displacement of thousands of Palestinians, fragmentation of the West Bank, and encourages further actions by violent settlers."

It was noted that continued expansion further undermines the viability of a two-state solution.