14 countries condemn Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank
In a unified diplomatic move reflecting growing international concern over developments in the occupied Palestinian territories, 14 major countries, including France, Britain, Canada, Japan and Germany, issued a joint statement on Wednesday strongly condemning recent Israeli occupation decisions aimed at expanding settlement activity in the West Bank.
Details of the joint statement
The statement issued by the French Foreign Ministry, representing the voice of Germany, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Spain, France, Italy, Ireland, Iceland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom, categorically rejects the decision of the Israeli Security Cabinet to approve the establishment and legalization of 19 new settlements and outposts in the occupied West Bank.
The countries that signed the statement affirmed their position rejecting any unilateral steps that would change the status quo, calling on the occupying government to immediately reverse this decision and cease its policy of land annexation. The statement read: “We reiterate our opposition to any form of annexation and any expansion of the settlement policy.”.
Violation of international law and UN resolutions
This widespread international condemnation is based on established principles of international law, whereby the international community considers Israeli settlements established on Palestinian territory occupied in 1967 illegal and a flagrant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring its own civilian population into the territory it occupies. These practices also contravene UN Security Council resolutions, most notably Resolution 2334, which demands that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities.
Threat to the two-state solution and the future of peace
Observers and political analysts point out that the danger of these settlement decisions lies not only in the confiscation of land, but also in their geopolitical impact, which aims to fragment the West Bank and prevent geographical contiguity between Palestinian cities and villages. This systematic fragmentation makes the implementation of a two-state solution virtually impossible on the ground, thus undermining international efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the region.
The occupation’s insistence on proceeding with these plans, despite warnings from its closest allies, reflects a challenge to international will and increases the state of tension and unrest in the region, which may drag the entire region into further instability.
