France has condemned Israel’s plan to build 3,400 new homes in the occupied West Bank, calling the project a “serious violation of international law” that risks destroying any chance of a contiguous Palestinian state.
The French foreign ministry insisted the so-called E1 settlement, east of Jerusalem, threatens to cut the West Bank in two, undermining prospects for Palestinian statehood.
The French foreign ministry spokesperson said France “condemns with the utmost firmness” the project and reiterated calls for Israel to halt all settlement activity, which “systematically erode the viability of a Palestinian state.”\
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right figure, openly boasted that the construction would make a Palestinian state impossible. The plan, expected to receive final approval later this month, has been frozen for years amid international pressure but is now moving forward.
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The area is critical as one of the last geographic links between the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem; its development would force Palestinians to take long detours through numerous checkpoints, adding hours to travel.
France, along with many other countries, has strongly condemned the plans and warned the settlements contravene international law and jeopardise the prospects for peace.
The French government’s sharp criticism comes amid growing concerns over escalating tensions and violence in the West Bank and Gaza, where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to deepen. France remains a strong advocate for a two-state solution, warning that settlement expansion risks making that goal impossible and fuelling further unrest in the region.
(With newswires)
