European Commission President Condemns Israeli Settlement Expansion in Palestinian Territories

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, issued a strong statement on Friday evening condemning the Israeli cabinet’s decision to put out tenders for construction as part of the E1 settlement project. She described the move as entirely unacceptable.

In a related development, leaders from seven countries, including four European Union members, also denounced the new Israeli settlement plans in the West Bank last night. Western officials have called for a halt to these construction activities in the occupied territories after the Israeli authorities initiated tenders for the building of over 1,200 housing units in the region.

France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Canada are signatories to this joint statement. The E1 plan, approved by the Israeli regime last year, will further isolate the predominantly Palestinian areas east of Jerusalem, which have been occupied and annexed by Israel, from the West Bank.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres had previously warned that the implementation of the E1 plan poses a serious danger and a fundamental threat to the possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian state.