GAZA: Twenty-one countries, including the UK and France, issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s settlement plan in the “E1” area of the West Bank as “illegal” and a “violation of international law,” calling for its immediate cancellation. This plan involves the construction of 3,400 housing units, which would separate the northern and southern parts of the West Bank and undermine the possibility of establishing an independent Palestinian state. Following the approval of this plan, the UK summoned the Israeli ambassador in London. In response, the Palestinian Authority stated that this project would turn the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, into “separate prisons” and is indicative of “gradual annexation and forced displacement” of Palestinians. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has called for international intervention and sanctions against Israel. The United Nations has also warned that continued settlement expansion would destroy the two-state solution. According to statistics, over three million Palestinians and around 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, violence in the region has escalated, with at least 971 Palestinians and 36 Israelis reported dead.
