BERLIN: The foreign ministers of five Western powers said Tuesday they were “deeply troubled” by the Israeli government’s decision to legalize nine West Bank settlements and build thousands of new units.
The ministers from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the United States said: “We strongly oppose these unilateral actions which will only serve to exacerbate tensions between Israelis and Palestinians and undermine efforts to achieve a negotiated two-state solution.”
They underlined their backing for a “comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, which must be achieved through direct negotiations between the parties.”
“We continue to closely monitor developments on the ground which impact the viability of the two-state solution and stability in the region at large,” they added.
Israel’s security cabinet had announced on Sunday that it would legalize nine settlements in the occupied West Bank following a series of attacks in east Jerusalem, including one that killed three Israelis.
These so-called “wild” settlements were built without authorization from the Israeli government.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who signed up to Tuesday’s statement, had on Monday already criticized Israel’s plans on advancing settlements.
Israel’s moves came on the heels of a visit by Blinken to the region in which he explicitly warned against settlement activity as he sought to ease tensions following violence.
More than 475,000 Israelis reside in settlements in the West Bank, where 2.8 million Palestinians live.
Western powers say ‘strongly oppose’ Israel settlement moves
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Western powers say ‘strongly oppose’ Israel settlement moves
- “We continue to closely monitor developments on the ground which impact the viability of the two-state solution and stability in the region at large,” the ministers said
Israeli settlers target wells, disrupt water supply to 19 Palestinian areas near Ramallah
- Settlers broke windows, doors, control panels and cut the cables rendering the wells completely inoperable
- Attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian homes and businesses have increased since October 2023
LONDON: Israeli settlers attacked water wells in the Ein Samia area, northeast of Ramallah, overnight, causing a disruption in the water supply for several hours, according to the Jerusalem District Water Department's report on Sunday.
The Palestinian Authority’s water authority reported that settlers targeted wells number two, four, and six in Ein Samia, disrupting their operation from Saturday at 10 p.m. until Sunday at 9 a.m. The attackers broke windows, doors, control panels and cut the cables, rendering the wells completely inoperable.
It warned that attacks on the primary water source jeopardized access to water for over 19 areas in the occupied West Bank, worsening the difficulties faced by residents near Ramallah.
Attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian homes and businesses have increased since October 2023.
These incidents include vandalism, arson, shootings, and the destruction of agricultural lands and water sources, often intended to pressure residents into leaving their land. Israeli authorities often provide protection for settlers during attacks, including military deployment to accompany them and suppress local resistance, the Wafa news agency reported.
Excluding East Jerusalem, which was occupied and annexed by Israel in 1967, some 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, along with about 3 million Palestinian residents.
