UN chief condemns Israeli approval of 3,400 West Bank colonial homes, calling it a violation of international law.
JERUSALEM: The Israeli government has approved a large-scale colonial construction plan in the controversial E1 area of the occupied West Bank. The plan includes 3,401 new housing units along with the creation of a new settlement named “Ashahal,” which alone will add 342 units and public buildings. Critics warn this would effectively cut the West Bank in two, worsening tensions.
The development comes as the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. Since October 2023, over 62,122 Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children, and at least 156,758 have been injured. Medical officials confirmed that in just the past 24 hours, 58 people lost their lives and 185 were injured.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned Israel’s approval of the E1 settlement expansion, which he said threatens the viability of a two-state solution. In a statement read by his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, he stressed: “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 urged Israel to halt all settlement activities, comply with international law, and respect UN resolutions. He also referenced the July 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which reaffirmed the illegality of settlement expansion.
Observers fear the E1 decision could spark further instability in an already fragile region, where violence, displacement, and deepening humanitarian crises continue to escalate.
