France calls on 'Israel' to halt its settlement expansion plan
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France has condemned "Israel's" plan to construct over 3,000 new housing units in the occupied West Bank, calling it a serious breach of international law.
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A general view shows the E1 area, an open tract of land east of al-Quds, between the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, left and the occupied West Bank town of Eizariya, right, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 (AP)
France's foreign ministry called on "Israel" to abandon its plan to build thousands of new settlement units in the West Bank, stating that the project represents a serious violation of international law, in a statement issued on Saturday.
A French foreign ministry spokesman strongly condemned "Israel's" decision to construct 3,400 new housing units in a highly sensitive area of the occupied West Bank.
The E1 project, according to multiple countries, jeopardizes prospects for a viable future Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital by threatening territorial contiguity.
On August 15, Germany called on the Israeli government to stop settlement expansion in the West Bank following an announcement by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich about plans to begin construction of new settlement units in the occupied territory.
A ministry spokesman stated that Germany firmly objects to such plans, noting that the expansion would restrict the freedom of movement for the Palestinian population in the West Bank, effectively cutting off the eastern part of occupied al-Quds.
On Friday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that "Israel's" approval of new settlement construction violates international law, while warning that the move risks forcibly displacing Palestinians in the area, an act that would constitute a war crime.
Smotrich says 'Israel' set to expand E1 settlements
Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister of "Israel", approved moving forward with the E1 settlement plan, a controversial construction project that had been delayed for years and would effectively cut off east occupied al-Quds from the remaining parts of the occupied West Bank.
Smotrich declared that "the plan will bury the idea of a Palestinian state," characterizing it as the "final nail in the coffin" for Palestinian statehood.
Smotrich claimed that the plans had been progressing in full coordination with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and "our friends in the United States," stating that "the US administration completely supports our steps in the West Bank."
The announcement drew widespread condemnations from global players, including the European Commission, which asserted that the annexation of West Bank lands is illegal under international law, and reiterated the EU Commission's stance against the displacement and eviction of Palestinians.
