The foreign ministers of several EU countries have called on Israel to reconsider its settlement policy in East Jerusalem.
The hundreds of housing units planned there would "cut the West Bank even further from East Jerusalem and thus represent an additional obstacle to the two-state solution," according to a statement by the foreign ministries of Germany, France, Spain and Italy on Wednesday evening.
"The Israeli settlements are a clear violation of international law and stand in the way of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace between Israelis and Palestinians," the foreign ministers continued. The planned apartments directly threatened the functioning of a Palestinian state. "We urge the Israeli authorities to reverse this decision."
The ministers are also very concerned about the current developments in the East Jerusalem district of Sheikh Jarrah.
There, the Israeli police forcibly evicted and demolished the houses of a Palestinian family on Wednesday morning.
According to media reports, at least 18 people were arrested during the eviction.
The foreign ministers called on the Israeli government to permanently halt evictions and demolitions of Palestinian structures "that contribute to increasing tensions on the ground."
The dispute over Sheikh Jarrah, which has been raging for years, is considered one of the triggers of the last Gaza war in May 2021.