NEW YORK: The secretary general of the United Nations has condemned Israel’s E1 Settlement Plan in West Bank.
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, in a statement said: “The Secretary-General condemns the decision of the Higher Planning Committee to grant approval for more than 3,400 housing units in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank.”
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are a violation of international law and run directly counter to United Nations resolutions.
The advancement of this project is an existential threat to the two-State solution. It would sever the northern and southern West Bank and have severe consequences for the territorial contiguity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The Secretary-General reiterates his call on the Government of Israel to immediately halt all settlement activity and to comply fully with its obligations under international law and to act in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions and in line with the International Court of Justice in its Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024.
On August 20, 2025, Israel approved the construction of more than 3,400 housing units in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank. The decision has drawn criticism from the international community.
The United Nations said that Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, violate international law and threaten the two-state solution. The UN called on Israel to stop all settlement activity.
The European Union also criticized the plan, saying it threatens the continuity of the West Bank and undermines peace efforts. The United Kingdom called the plan a serious breach of international law, warning that it would divide the West Bank.
Humanitarian groups said the settlement plan could displace 18 Palestinian Bedouin communities and isolate them from key roads.
The E1 area lies between East Jerusalem and the Ma’ale Adumim settlement. Building there could split the West Bank into northern and southern regions, making a contiguous Palestinian state more difficult to achieve.
The international community continues to monitor the situation and is urging Israel to halt the settlement expansion.
Comments are closed.