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Major west bank settlement project sparks global condemnation
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for the acceleration of a major settlement project in the West Bank, aiming to build 3,400 housing units in the E1 area and formally annex the occupied Palestinian territory. The announcement has drawn strong international criticism.
Smotrich, a far-right politician, made the statement in response to several countries signaling potential recognition of a Palestinian state at the upcoming UN General Assembly, including France, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
The United Nations and the European Union have urged Israel not to proceed with the E1 project, warning that it would divide the West Bank and effectively prevent the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state.
“Those who want to recognize a Palestinian state will receive a response on the ground… through facts: houses, neighborhoods, roads, and Jewish families building their lives,” Smotrich said. He urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to assert Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria before September.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the project and called for international intervention and sanctions to halt it, describing construction in E1 as a continuation of occupation plans aimed at destroying the possibility of a Palestinian state.
Israeli NGO Peace Now described the plan as “fatal for Israel’s future and for any chance of a two-state solution.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that if implemented, the E1 project would end prospects for a two-state solution, while EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas condemned it as a violation of international law. Germany and Saudi Arabia also voiced firm opposition.