Israel/Palestine: Statement by the Spokesperson on the recent Israeli decision for new settlements

The recent Israeli decision to establish over 30 new settlements in the occupied West Bank is illegal under international law and severely undermines prospects for peace and the two-state solution.

The European Union strongly condemns Israel's unilateral actions aiming to expand its presence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion of 19 July 2024 declared to be unlawful, and urges the Government of Israel to reverse these decisions, to abide by its obligations under international law and to protect the Palestinian population of the occupied territories.

We equally condemn the continued and growing settler violence against Palestinian civilians.

The European Union reaffirms its commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution in accordance with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side-by-side in peace within secure and recognised borders.