Palestine welcomes trade restrictions by 12 countries on illegal Israeli settlements

Palestine on Tuesday welcomed a joint statement by 12 countries reaffirming their commitment to the two-state solution and announcing restrictions on trade in goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh said the measures were a “step in the right direction,” but called for binding international action to halt illegal settlement expansion and the de facto annexation of the West Bank. The statement was issued by the foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK. The ministers announced restrictions on trade in illegal settlement goods amid Israeli government measures, unprecedented levels of occupier violence and continued settlement expansion. Al-Sheikh said the international community must move beyond condemnation and political statements to “binding and decisive measures” to stop illegal settlement expansion and annexation. He called for respect for international law, UN Security Council resolutions and accountability for those responsible for settler violence. E1 project threatens territorial continuity Al-Sheikh warned that Israel’s continued illegal settlement plans, particularly the E1 project, threaten to fragment Palestinian territory, separate the northern and southern West Bank and undermine the possibility of a contiguous, viable Palestinian state. The E1 project covers an area between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement east of the city. Palestinian and international officials warn that its implementation would divide parts of the West Bank and severely damage prospects for a geographically contiguous Palestinian state. “Protecting the two-state solution is not limited to reaffirming political commitment to it,” al-Sheikh said, stressing the need to protect Palestinian land from annexation, settlement expansion and occupier violence, end the occupation and translate international law into action. He said practical measures to halt settlement activity and hold those responsible for violations accountable would help preserve prospects for peace and promote regional and international security. The measures come amid escalating Israeli army and occupier attacks in the occupied West Bank since the start of the Gaza genocide in October 2023. Palestinian authorities have documented killings, arrests, home demolitions, attacks on mosques and vehicles, destruction of agricultural land, restrictions on farmers’ access to their property and forced displacement. According to Palestinian figures, around 750,000 Israeli occupiers live in 156 illegal settlements and 360 outposts across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Palestinians warn that Israeli military operations and occupier violence are paving the way for formal annexation of the West Bank, which would undermine the establishment of a Palestinian state under relevant UN resolutions.