EU, France condemn Israel settlement plan in West Bank

By Serife Cetin and Yusuf Ozcan

BRUSSELS, PARIS (AA) - The European Union (EU) condemned Israel’s recent approval for the construction of homes to expand Jewish settlement in the West Bank on Thursday.

The Israeli authorities recently approved plans to build 2,191 Jewish-only housing units in the occupied West Bank.

EU emphasizes the Israeli decision undermines the viability of the two-state solution and the possibility of lasting peace in a written statement.

“The European Union’s position on Israeli settlement construction and related activities is clear and remains unchanged: all settlement activity is illegal under international law” the statement reads.

Separately, France condemned the decision of Israeli administration to build about 300 additional houses to illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

French Foreign Ministry condemned the move saying: "The settlements' establishment do not correspond with UNSC resolution 2334. The settlements endanger the two-state solution, which is the only solution that would allow for peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians."

France also requested the Israeli administration to review the decision.

Israel's plan for the expansion of illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank came prior to early elections in April 2019.

Plans for 82 new homes in the Ofra settlement near Ramallah -- where a shooting attack occurred earlier this month -- have also reportedly received the green light.

According to Palestinian figures, roughly 640,000 Jewish settlers now live on 196 settlements (built with the Israeli government’s approval) and more than 200 settler outposts (built without its approval) across the occupied West Bank.

International law views the West Bank and East Jerusalem as "occupied territories" and considers all Jewish settlement-building activity there as illegal.