14 countries condemn Israel's West Bank settlement plan

Tehran - BORNA - The joint statement was signed by 12 European countries, including Belgium, France, the UK, and Germany, in addition to Canada and Japan.

They warned that such moves violate international law and risk fueling regional instability.

"We recall that such unilateral actions, as part of a wider intensification of the settlement policies in the West Bank, not only violate international law but also risk fueling instability," the statement said.

They expressed their “clear opposition” to any form of annexation of Palestinian lands and expansion of settlements, including the approval of the E1 settlement and thousands of new settler units.

"We are resolute in our support of Palestinians' right of self-determination," it said, adding that "We reaffirm that there is no alternative to a negotiated two-state solution."

The countries emphasized that settlement expansion risks undermining the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire plan amid efforts to advance to its second phase, while harming prospects for long-term peace and security across the region.

The signatories also reaffirmed their resolute support for the Palestinians’ right to self-determination.

Israel has recently approved the establishment of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, bringing the number of settlements legalized or approved over the past three years to sixty-nine.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. Violence has surged across the region since the regime's genocidal war began on Gaza in October 2023.

In the last two years, nearly 1,102 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank, and nearly 11,000 others have been injured in attacks by the Israeli military and settlers.

Around 21,000 people have also been abducted by the occupying regime’s forces.