How the world is reacting to Israel’s settlement plan in occupied West Bank

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Israel’s announcement that it volition illegally physique thousands of homes successful a highly arguable improvement successful the occupied West Bank – successful a determination Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich boasted “buries the thought of a Palestinian state” – has drawn wide planetary condemnation.

Smotrich announced Thursday that helium was pushing up with long-frozen plans for the  E1 country colony project that would link occupied East Jerusalem with the existing amerciable Israeli colony of Maale Adumim, located respective kilometres to the east.

The planned settlement, which was shelved for years amid absorption from the United States and European allies, would comprise much than 3,400 homes for Israeli settlers connected Palestinian-owned onshore that experts accidental is captious for immoderate aboriginal territorially contiguous Palestinian authorities successful the West Bank.

Smotrich said the improvement was being revived arsenic a effect to plans by different countries to recognise a Palestinian state.

But the effect from the remainder of the satellite has been scathing, with governments describing the determination arsenic a blatant usurpation of planetary instrumentality that would substance determination instability and permission the anticipation of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine struggle successful tatters. Here’s an overview of the reactions truthful far.

Palestine

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the E1 development, successful operation with the warfare successful Gaza and escalating settler violence, would lone pb to further escalation, hostility and instability.

He said helium held the US liable for halting Israel’s expansionist actions, and noted that the colony announcement came arsenic Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had spoken of his imaginativeness for a “Greater Israel”.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, successful a statement, called for planetary involution to halt the colony plans.

It considered the E1 colony “a continuation of the occupation’s plans to undermine the accidental to found the Palestinian authorities connected its homeland, weaken its geographical and demographic unity, entrench the part of the West Bank into isolated areas surrounded by a oversea of settlements, and facilitate the completion of their annexation”.

Qatar

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs slammed the move, saying it “reaffirms Qatar’s unequivocal rejection of the Israeli occupation’s policies aimed astatine expanding settlements and forcibly displacing Palestinian people, measures intended to forestall the constitution of a Palestinian state”.

Statement | Qatar Condemns Israeli Finance Minister’s Approval of Settlement Plans Separating East Jerusalem from the Occupied West Bank#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/5BRIC3didA

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) August 14, 2025

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the colony plans “in the strongest imaginable terms”, saying they were a usurpation of planetary instrumentality and a superior menace to the anticipation of a two-state solution.

In a statement, it called connected the planetary assemblage to “assume its ineligible and motivation responsibilities, support the Palestinian people, and fulfil their morganatic rights, including designation of the Palestinian state”.

Jordan

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry condemned the determination successful the “strongest terms”. The ministry’s spokesperson Sufyan Qudah affirmed his country’s “absolute rejection and condemnation of this colony program and the amerciable Israeli measures that represent a blatant usurpation of planetary instrumentality and planetary Security Council resolutions”.

Qudah warned against the continued expansionist argumentation of the Israeli authorities successful the occupied West Bank, which the ministry said “encourages the perpetuation of cycles of unit and struggle successful the region”.

Turkiye

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the colony program “disregards planetary instrumentality and United Nations resolutions” and “targets the territorial integrity of the State of Palestine, the ground for a two-state solution, and hopes for lasting peace”.

It reaffirmed Turkiye’s enactment for an autarkic Palestinian authorities based connected 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem arsenic its capital.

United Kingdom

British Foreign Minister David Lammy said the program indispensable beryllium stopped.

“The UK powerfully opposes the Israeli government’s E1 colony plans, which would disagreement a aboriginal Palestinian authorities successful 2 and people a flagrant breach of planetary law,” helium said successful an emailed connection to the Reuters quality agency.

The concern successful Gaza is appalling and the Israeli government's actions are further jeopardising the two-state solution.
@AnitaAnandMP, @jnbarrot and I discussed the request for an contiguous ceasefire, merchandise of each hostages, a flood of assistance and a program to present lasting peace.

— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) August 14, 2025

Germany

The German government, a beardown protagonist of Israel, urged Israel to “stop colony construction” and said it “strongly rejects” the program for the caller development

“The colony operation violates planetary instrumentality and relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” a spokesperson for the Foreign Office successful Berlin said.

“It complicates a negotiated two-state solution and an extremity to the Israeli concern of the West Bank, arsenic demanded by the International Court of Justice,” helium added.

Spain

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called the enlargement program “a caller usurpation of planetary law”.

“It undermines the viability of the two-state solution, the lone way to peace,” helium said successful a societal media post.

INTERACTIVE - Occupied West Bank - E1 colony  enlargement  representation  graphic-1755168549(Al Jazeera)

United Nations

The United Nations urged Israel to reverse its decision. “It would enactment an extremity to prospects of a two-state solution,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told reporters.

“Settlements spell against planetary instrumentality … [and] further entrench the occupation.”

European Union

The European Union’s overseas argumentation main Kaja Kallas besides slammed the program arsenic a “breach of planetary law” that would further undermine a two-state solution.

“If implemented, colony operation successful this country volition permanently chopped the geographical and territorial contiguity betwixt occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank and sever the transportation betwixt the bluish and confederate West Bank,” said Kallas.

“The EU urges Israel to desist from taking this determination forward, noting its far-reaching implications and the request to see enactment to support the viability of the two-state solution.”

She called connected Israel to halt its colony operation altogether, saying its colony policy, combined with ongoing settler unit and subject operations, were “fuelling an already tense concern connected the crushed and further eroding immoderate anticipation for peace”.

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) besides denounced the plans, saying the Israeli concern and colony enlargement were amerciable nether planetary law, United Nations resolutions, and the advisory sentiment of the International Court of Justice, and indispensable extremity immediately.

The intergovernmental organisation urged the planetary assemblage to instrumentality responsibility, clasp Israel accountable, and enforce sanctions successful enactment with planetary instrumentality and applicable UN resolutions.

Israeli quality rights group

Israeli advocacy radical Peace Now warned that the determination was “guaranteeing galore much years of bloodshed”.

“The E1 program is deadly for the aboriginal of Israel and for immoderate accidental of achieving a peaceful two-state solution,” it said successful a statement.

“There is simply a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian struggle and to the unspeakable warfare successful Gaza – the constitution of a Palestinian authorities alongside Israel – and it volition yet come.”

United States

Israel’s cardinal ally, the United States, had nary contiguous words of disapproval for the proposal. Asked astir the colony development, a spokesperson for the US State Department said Washington was focused connected ending the warfare successful Gaza and ensuring Hamas volition ne'er govern that territory again.

“A unchangeable West Bank keeps Israel unafraid and is successful enactment with this administration’s extremity to execute bid successful the region,” the spokesperson said, referring to the Israeli authorities for further information.

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