Britain, France, Germany, and Italy Warn Israel To Halt E1 Settlement Expansion

Britain, France, Germany, and Italy issued a joint statement on Friday sharply criticizing rising settler violence and expanding Israeli control in the occupied West Bank, warning that current Israeli policies are undermining regional stability and prospects for a political solution.

“Israeli soldiers secure the area as they demolish the home of Palestinian prisoner Azmi Abu Hlayel, who is believed to be responsible for the 2024 attack against Israelis, in his hometown of Dura”

Ahraminfo

The four governments said the situation in the West Bank had “significantly deteriorated in recent months,” describing violence carried out by settlers against Palestinians as reaching “unprecedented levels.”

Ahraminfo

They devoted particular attention to Israeli settlement plans in the E1 area east of occupied Jerusalem, warning that “The E1 settlement development would divide the West Bank in two and mark a serious breach of international law.”

The statement also urged Israel to investigate allegations involving Israeli military forces and ensure accountability measures, while calling on the government of Israel to end its expansion of settlements and administrative powers and ensure accountability for settler violence.

It further warned companies against participating in construction projects linked to settlements, saying “Businesses should not bid for construction tenders for E1 or other settlement developments.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Friday for Israel to halt the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, stressing that settler violence has reached “unprecedented levels.”

Merz said, in a post on the American company “X” platform, that he is calling, alongside Britain, France and Italy, on the Israeli government to stop expanding settlements.

Al Jazeera

The Yaffa News Network report said that on Tuesday far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also holds a position in the Ministry of Defense, issued an order to evacuate the Palestinian “Khan al-Ahmar” community east of Jerusalem.

It added that the Israeli Supreme Court had previously given the green light to demolish and evacuate the community, in preparation for implementing a settlement project.

The report linked the decision to a claim that Smotrich acted after learning that the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, had submitted a secret request to the court to issue an arrest warrant against him.

Israel approved the establishment of roughly twenty new settlements in the West Bank, raising the total number of settlements that have received a green light in the last three years to 69, according to a press release issued by the offices of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

The rts.ch report quoted the press release saying, “On the ground, we block the establishment of a terrorist Palestinian state,” and added that Israel would “continue to develop, build and settle on the land of our ancestral heritage.”

Le Figaro reported that Israel rejected a call from 14 countries to halt the expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, describing it as “morally reprehensible.”

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on X, “Foreign governments will not restrict the right of Jews to live in the land of Israel, and any call to that effect is morally reprehensible,” while also stating that the decision to establish 11 new settlements and legalize eight additional settlements was aimed at addressing security threats.

Le Figaro said the Palestinian Authority denounced the Israeli announcement as part of a “systematic policy” aimed at preventing any real possibility of establishing an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, while also denouncing “an acceleration of the theft of Palestinian lands” and the “escalation of settler terrorism.”