The German government has strongly condemned Israel's plan to build thousands of new housing units in the West Bank, describing it as a violation of international law and UN Security Council resolutions. The plan, announced by far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, involves constructing 3,400 homes in the E1 area between East Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement.
Germany called on Israel to halt settlement construction, emphasizing that only border changes agreed upon by the parties to the conflict and dating back to June 4, 1967, would be recognized. The government warned that expansion in the E1 area would further restrict the mobility of the Palestinian population by dividing the West Bank into northern and southern parts, effectively cutting off East Jerusalem and rendering the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state unviable.
The United Nations human rights office also declared the plan illegal under international law, warning it would put Palestinians at risk of forced eviction a move characterized as a war crime.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas backed Germany's position, stating that the settlement expansion undermines the two-state solution and called on Israel to desist from such actions.
Israeli organizations like Peace Now have criticized the plan as deadly for any prospect of a peaceful two-state resolution and the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations.
The plan intensifies international tensions amidst Israel's ongoing military operations in Gaza and deepens concerns about the feasibility of achieving a negotiated peace settlement in the region.