PARIS (FN) — Fourteen countries, including several major European powers as well as Canada and Japan, condemned Israel on Wednesday for approving 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, warning the move violates international law and threatens efforts to stabilize the region.
In a joint statement released by the French Foreign Ministry, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom said they “firmly oppose” Israel’s decision and urged the government to reverse course.
“We condemn the approval by the Israeli security cabinet of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank,” the statement said, adding that settlement expansion “violates international law” and risks undermining the fragile Gaza ceasefire and ongoing diplomatic efforts.
The announcement followed comments by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a key figure in the country’s far‑right coalition, who said Sunday that authorities had greenlit the settlements to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Israel’s government has not indicated any intention to reconsider the approvals. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar dismissed the international criticism as “morally wrong,” arguing that foreign governments “will not restrict the right of Jews to live in the land of Israel”.
The settlement decision comes as mediators work to advance the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, which several governments warned could be jeopardized by unilateral actions in the West Bank.
More than 200 settlements and outposts now exist across the West Bank, which Palestinians seek as part of a future independent state. Most of the international community considers the settlements illegal under international law.
