Statement by the High Representative on Israel’s E1 West Bank settlement plan

The Israeli Government's publication of a tender for the construction of over 1,200 housing units under the E1 settlement project fundamentally harms the prospect of the two-State solution.

Implementation of the E1 plan would divide the West Bank in two, isolating East Jerusalem, and further eroding the viability of a two-state solution. These developments take place as the West Bank experiences further instability and record levels of settler violence. In this context, we note the recent charges brought by the Israeli prosecutors against some perpetrators of such violence.

The EU position is clear: Israel's settlements in the West Bank, including in the E1 area, are illegal under international law.

We urge the Government of Israel to withdraw the tender, halt its E1 plans as well as all other settlement expansion projects, and ensure accountability for settler violence.

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