Fifteen European countries on Friday urged Israel to abandon plans to house thousands more settlers in the West Bank, warning they “stand in the way” of lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
“The new housing units will constitute an additional obstacle to the two-state solution,” the countries said in a statement issued by their foreign ministries.
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“Israeli settlements are a clear violation of international law and stand in the way of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace between Israel and the Palestinians,” he said.
An Israeli non-governmental organization said on Thursday Israel planned 4,427 housing units for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.
The Civil Administration’s Higher Planning Committee gave final approval to 2,791 units and initial support for another 1,636 units, said Peace Now, an organization that closely monitors Israel’s settlement building.
Israel seized the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967.
Since then, about 700,000 Israelis have moved into settlements that most of the international community considers illegal.
The housing plans are scattered over a large area of ​​the West Bank known as Area C, where Israel exercises military and planning control.
The 15 European countries that signed Friday’s statement include France, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden.
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