Switzerland condemns Israel's approval of 22 'illegal' West Bank settlements

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - Switzerland on Friday condemned Israel's recent approval of 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, warning the move is a "major obstacle" to peace.

"Switzerland condemns the approval of 22 new settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory by Israel. They are illegal under international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, and a major obstacle to peace," the Foreign Ministry said on X.

"Expansion and settler violence must stop," the ministry urged.

Israel's Defense Ministry has confirmed that the government approved the construction of 22 new settlements in the West Bank, which it occupied in 1967.

The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law. The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, a framework seen as key to resolving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land illegal and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.