Palestine Appreciates 21 Countries' Rejection Of Settlement Expansion In The West Bank

JAKARTA - Palestine Appreciates 21 Countries' Rejection Of Expansion Of Settlements In The West Bank

Foreign ministers from 21 countries, including the European Union, on Thursday criticized the Israeli authorities' approval of plans to expand Israeli settlements in the E1 region, West Bank, Palestine.

Foreign ministers from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Britain in a joint statement calling for the cancellation of the project as hard as possible.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Palestinian Presidential Decree described the international declaration as a significant and essential step, quoted from WAFA Aug. 22.

The statement stressed that this step should be followed by increased pressure on Israeli occupation to force him to withdraw this dangerous settlement plan, which effectively separates the southern West Bank from its central territory.

The main diplomats warned that the decision "does not bring benefits to the Israeli people. Instead, the decision risks damaging security and triggering violence and further instability, which further distances us from peace."

"The Israeli government still has the opportunity to stop the E1 plan further. We urge them to immediately cancel this plan," the statement exclaimed.

They assert, "any unilateral action by the Israeli government undermines our collective desire for security and prosperity in the Middle East."

The joint statement also urged the Israeli government to "stop settlement construction in accordance with UN DK Resolution 2334 and lift their restrictions on the Palestinian Authority's finances."

As previously reported, a large construction project that will build about 3,400 housing units in the controversial E1 area of the West Bank, between Jerusalem and the Ma'ale Adumim settlement, has received final approval on Wednesday.

Announced last week by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the controversial plan was officially approved by the Civil Administration High Planning Committee, a department at the Ministry of Defense.

Smotrich, who also holds the position of junior minister at the Ministry of Defense who gave him broad authority in settlement development, called the decision "historic."