The occupation is moving forward with a project to build about 3,500 housing units in the West Bank (Reuters)
On Friday, Paris and Madrid condemned the Israeli occupation's plans to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank, including the construction of new housing units, calling on Israel to retract this decision.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that France condemns in the strongest terms the recent decision taken by the Israeli authorities to approve plans to build approximately 3,500 new housing units in settlements in the West Bank.
Paris called on the Israeli government to immediately retract this “unacceptable, illegal and irresponsible” decision.
She added that the Israeli settlement of Palestinian lands is a flagrant violation of international law and must stop, calling for the dismantling of settlement outposts without delay.
For its part, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Madrid strongly condemns approval of plans to expand Israeli settlements in the West Bank, calling on Israel to withdraw this measure.
She added that the settlements violate international law, undermine efforts to reach a two-state solution, and constitute an obstacle to peace.
An Israeli minister announced on Wednesday that the authorities are moving forward with a project to build about 3,500 housing units in the occupied West Bank.
The non-governmental organization "Peace Now" reported that an official body had approved the construction of 3,426 housing units in Maale Adumim, Efrat and Kedar.
United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk warned on Friday that the establishment and expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories constitutes a “war crime” and could eliminate any practical possibility of establishing a Palestinian state.
The United States, the European Union, and many Western countries have called on Israel in recent months to stop settlement activity and settler violence in the West Bank, as estimates indicate that there are more than 720,000 settlers in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Source: Agencies