Antonio Guterres Condemns Israel’s Accelerated West Bank Settlement Expansion

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the "expansion et l'accélération implacables" des colonies israéliennes en Cisjordanie, saying they contribute to the "plus importante crise de déplacement depuis 1967" in the occupied territory.

“Israeli army disperses protest in southern West Bank, injures, arrests Palestinians Protest in east of Bethlehem was against attempts to establish a new illegal settlement outpost Qais Omar Darwesh, Lina Altawell 03 July 2026•Update: 03 July 2026 BETHLEHEM, Palestine / ISTANBUL Israeli forces dispersed a Palestinian protest Friday in the Abu Njeim community, located southeast of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank against the establishment of an illegal settlement outpost, injuring and arresting several Palestinians”

Anadolu Ajansı

In the same quarterly report seen by AFP, Guterres warned that the settlement project E1 "présente une menace existentielle à la solution à deux Etats" by planning to divide the West Bank into two parts.

Anadolu Ajansı

Guterres also said he was "très inquiet concernant l'ampleur du déplacement des Palestiniens en Cisjordanie" where communities, including Bedouins, are displaced "parfois plusieurs fois".

In a joint press statement ahead of a UN Security Council meeting, five European members of the council—France, Royaume-Uni, Grèce, Lettonie, and Danemark—said they were concerned about the "détérioration de la situation en Cisjordanie" and condemned the "poursuite de la colonisation".

Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a plan to establish 13 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, with Palestinian officials warning the expansion would deepen territorial fragmentation and further isolate occupied East Jerusalem.

The New Arab reported that, according to Israel's Channel 7, the cabinet endorsed construction of the new settlements on Thursday in the Binyamin regional council area, with the first phase expected to begin in the coming months and an initial four to six settlements set for establishment.

Association France Palestine Solidarité

The Jerusalem Governorate condemned the decision, accusing Israel of seeking to "create new geographical realities on the ground" and "undermine the prospects of establishing a geographically contiguous Palestinian state."

Amir Daoud, director of Publishing and Documentation at the Colonization & Wall Resistance Commission, told The New Arab that the move "should be viewed as part of a broader governmental strategy aimed to accelerating de facto annexation".

As settlement activity accelerated, Anadolu Ajansı reported that Israeli forces dispersed a Palestinian protest Friday in the Abu Njeim community southeast of Bethlehem, injuring and arresting several Palestinians.

“An Israeli study reveals an unprecedented acceleration in the use of military orders to expand the jurisdiction of settlements in the West Bank, enabling the annexation of thousands of dunams and the creation of dozens of new settlements since October 2023”

Euronews

Anadolu said Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition and stun grenades during the intervention, and that Israeli forces also arrested a Palestinian during the protest.

Palestinian News Network described settler attacks across Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Tulkarm governorates on Friday, injuring Palestinian residents and international activists as Israeli authorities advanced plans to establish 13 new settlement outposts.

In the same reporting stream, Palestinian News Network said settlers took control of the Ain Rawabi spring east of Anata after vandalizing the site, warning that the spring is the only water source serving Bedouin communities and shepherds, providing drinking water for approximately 1,300 sheep.