Twelve European Countries Call On Israel to Reverse West Bank Construction Plans
© REUTERS / Ammar Awad
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Twelve European countries called on Israel to cancel the decision to build 3,000 housing units in the West Bank, the foreign ministries of these states said in a joint statement.
The statement was signed by Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Spain.
"We urge the Government of Israel to reverse its decision to advance plans for the construction of around 3000 settlement units in the West Bank. We reiterate our strong opposition to its policy of settlement expansion across the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which violates international law and undermines efforts for the two-state solution", foreign ministries said.
The statement went on to urge Israel and the Palestinian authorities to strengthen cooperation and reduce tensions.
On 27 October, Israel approved the construction of nearly 3,000 new Jewish settler homes in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli nonprofit that monitors settlement building said.
This June 30, 2020, file photo, shows a view of the West Bank Jewish settlement of Ma'ale Efrayim in the Jordan Valley. One of the world's best-known human rights groups says Israel is guilty of the international crimes of apartheid and persecution. Human Rights Watch cites discriminatory policies toward Palestinians within Israel's own borders and in the occupied territories. In so doing, the New York-based group joins a growing number of commentators and rights groups that consider Israel and the territories as a single entity in which Palestinians are denied basic rights that are granted to Jews. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File)
© AP Photo / Oded Balilty
A US Department of State spokesperson said on 26 October that Washington was deeply concerned about the new Israeli government's plan to advance illegal settlement construction in the occupied Palestinian lands.
The Housing Ministry is now seeking permits for another 1,300 housing units. The planning council of the Civil Administration, an Israeli governing body in the West Bank, will consider giving them a construction clearance on Monday.
