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‎UK, France, Italy, Germany Demand Israel Halt New West Bank Settlement Construction ‎

By Mustapha Bature Sallama
21 Aug 2026

Britain, France, Italy, and Germany have jointly demanded that Israel withdraw plans for a controversial new settlement project in the occupied West Bank, warning that the move threatens the last remaining prospects for a two-state solution.

The E1 Project

The four European powers issued their condemnation on Thursday, August 20, 2026, after Israeli authorities opened bidding for construction tenders tied to the long-disputed "E1" settlement scheme near Jerusalem.

The sprawling E1 development, which like all Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal under international law, would further cut Palestinian-majority east Jerusalem off from the West Bank.

Israeli authorities have opened bidding for more than 1,200 homes in the area, part of a plan green-lit by Israel last year.

According to Israeli watchdog Peace Now, the plan seeks to build around 3,400 homes on the ultra-sensitive tract of land lying between Jerusalem and the settlement of Maale Adumim, with the latest tender covering more than 1,200 housing units, published by Israel's housing ministry on August 18 and opened immediately for bids, with submissions due by October 19, just one week before Israeli elections scheduled for October 27.

"Unacceptable," Say the Four Powers

In a joint statement from Paris, Berlin, London, and Rome, the countries did not mince words. "We urge the Government of Israel to retract these plans immediately and end its expansion of settlements in the West Bank," the statement said, while also cautioning companies against involvement in the tenders, citing potential breaches of international law.

The statement highlighted the deteriorating security climate in the territory. "At a time of grave instability in the West Bank with unprecedented levels of violence by settlers against civilians, and serious restrictions on the Palestinian economy, this decision is even more concerning," the joint declaration read.

The four countries also invoked international legal consensus on the settlements. "International Law is clear that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal," their statement said, noting that the position has been reaffirmed by the UN Security Council.

A Wedge Through Palestinian Territory

Diplomats and UN officials have long viewed the E1 corridor as uniquely damaging to Palestinian statehood ambitions. The development would undermine the prospect of a two-state solution by driving a wedge through the West Bank and harming the territorial contiguity of the Palestinian territories. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has previously described the E1 plan as posing an "existential threat" to a contiguous Palestinian state.

Legal Challenge Filed in Israel

The European condemnation came the same day that Palestinian communities and human rights organisations turned to Israel's own courts. A group of human rights groups and Palestinian communities asked the Jerusalem District Court to issue an interim injunction freezing the first tender issued by the Housing Ministry for the E1 construction plans, pending a ruling on their broader petitions against the project.

The petitioners also asked the court to block additional tenders and halt any further steps to advance the plans until a decision is reached, saying the tender had been issued and opened for bids without prior notice to them.

Wider Regional and International Reaction

Belgium was quick to echo the four powers' concerns. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot called the tenders "unacceptable," saying the project would seriously undermine the viability of the two-state solution.

The latest statement builds on a pattern of recurring European censure of Israeli settlement policy stretching back months, including a similar joint appeal in May 2026 by Italy, France, Britain, and Germany, which had also urged Israel to end its expansion of settlements and administrative powers, ensure accountability for settler violence, and investigate allegations against Israeli forces.

Background: A Long-Running Dispute

Excluding east Jerusalem, the West Bank is home to around three million Palestinians, alongside about 500,000 Israeli settlers. Israel has occupied the territory since 1967, and successive Israeli governments have continued settlement expansion despite persistent international objections.

Analysts note that the E1 project has been viewed for years under both Israeli and Palestinian administrations as one of the most consequential settlement plans, given its potential to permanently sever East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank.

As of this report, the Israeli government had not issued a formal response to the joint European statement.

Mustapha Bature Sallama medical Science communicator, Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,United States Institute of Peace (USIP), mustysallama@gmail.com +233555275880

References

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