14 countries condemn Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and demand its cessation

In a broad diplomatic move reflecting growing international concern over Israeli policies in the Palestinian territories, 14 major countries, including France, Britain, Canada and Japan, issued a joint statement on Wednesday strongly condemning the occupation’s recent decisions regarding the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Details of the unified international position

This firm stance was expressed in a statement issued by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and signed by representatives of Germany, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Spain, France, Italy, Ireland, Iceland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom. These countries categorically rejected the Israeli Security Cabinet's approval of plans to establish 19 new settlements in the West Bank, deeming this move a dangerous escalation.

The statement read: "We, the representatives of the aforementioned countries, condemn the Israeli government's approval of the establishment of new settlements in the occupied West Bank, and reaffirm our opposition to any form of annexation and any expansion of the settlement policy that undermines the chances for peace.".

Violation of international law and undermining of the two-state solution

This international consensus is based on the established legal position that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law. These countries base their position on the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring its own civilian population into the territory it occupies, as well as on UN Security Council resolutions, most notably Resolution 2334, which affirmed the illegality of the settlements.

Observers believe that this settlement expansion not only violates international law but also represents a major obstacle to any future efforts to revive the peace process. The continued land grab in the West Bank effectively fragments the future Palestinian state, making the two-state solution, which the international community considers a cornerstone of stability in the Middle East, virtually impossible to implement.

Calls for de-escalation and calming the situation

The joint statement did not merely issue a verbal condemnation, but also called directly and explicitly on the occupying government to reverse these decisions and cease its settlement expansion policy. These countries fear that such policies will lead to further tension in the region and fuel violence, thus threatening regional security and stability.

This statement reflects growing concern among Israel’s traditional Western allies about the current government’s course of action, as settlement policies and creeping annexation have become a key point of contention in diplomatic relations between Tel Aviv and Western capitals, which see maintaining a political horizon for the Palestinians as a strategic and moral imperative.