By Serife Cetin
BRUSSELS (AA) – The European Union on Friday warned Israel about its plans for thousands of new settlement units, including in the West Bank.
“Israel's continued policy of settlement expansion is illegal under international law” and the recent decision “further complicate the prospects for viable two-state solution”, the bloc’s foreign police chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement.
The EU reiterated its support for “a negotiated two-state solution” in the region. “This is the only way to fulfill the legitimate aspirations of both parties and to achieve just and lasting peace,” the statement added.
Earlier this week, an Israeli panel approved construction of approximately 1,800 new settlements in the West Bank.
There are about 400,000 Israelis living in the occupied West Bank in settlements Israel has continued to expand despite being considered illegal under international law.