In opposition to Israel’s insatiable desire to expand illegal settlements in the Palestinian lands, Western countries including UK, Canada, and Australia express ‘deep concerns’ and urged Israel to reverse the decision.
Following the unbridled desire of the new far-right government in Israel to expand illegal settlements in Palestinian lands, foreign ministers of the UK, Canada, and Australia issued a joint statement this Saturday to express “deep concern” about the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and called on Tel Aviv to immediately reverse its decision.
“The continued expansion of settlements is an obstacle to peace and negatively impacts efforts to achieve a negotiated two-state solution. We call on the Government of Israel to reverse these decisions,” the foreign ministers of the three nations said in the joint statement.
Asserting that they “unequivocally condemn” all forms of terrorism and violence against Palestinian civilians, the foreign ministers urged their authorities to make sure that all perpetrators of violence be held accountable for their wrongdoings. “The cycle of violence in Israel and the West Bank must be broken. Australia, Canada and the UK stand firmly with the Israeli and Palestinian people in their right to live in peace and security, with dignity, without fear and with their human rights fully respected,” read the statement.
Spain already voiced concern over Israel’s expansionism
A day before the foreign ministers of the three abovementioned countries condemn Israel for its expansionism policies, it was first Spain that sounded the alarm.
This Friday, Spain’s foreign ministry issued a statement in which it rejected the expansion of Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territories and condemned violence by settlers, calling on Tel Aviv to reverse its decisions in this regard as they are in gross violation of international law.
“The Government of Spain rejects the measures approved this week on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in the West Bank and condemns the violence exercised by settlers,” Foreign Ministry said in the statement, adding that “the settlements are contrary to international law, are an obstacle to peace and hinder the realization of the two-state solution”.
How big is this new settlement project?
It was last week on Tuesday that the far-right government in Israel approved plans for over 5,700 more illegal Jewish residences to be built in six months in the occupied West Bank, raising the total this year to a record of over 13,000, authorities announced. The decision included final approval for 818 new residences in illegal settlements such as Elkana, Revava, Givat Ze’ev, Carmel, and Harmesh.
According to a report by Peace Now, an Israeli non-governmental organization which tracks settlement plans of Israel in Palestine, Israel approved the most residences in 2023, a number that exceeds the previous record of 12,159 back in 2020.
“The approval of nearly 5,700 housing units today and over 13,000 in the first half of this year alone should make it clear that the government is rushing headlong towards an annexation coup, turning Israel into an apartheid state,” said Peace Now in a statement last week.
New residences allow Israel’s far right to expand bases of Jewish unlawful activities in the West Bank and escalate attacks on defenseless Palestinians, Estimates indicate that nearly 700,000 Israeli settlers live in roughly 300 illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Under international law, all Jewish settlements in the occupied territories of Palestine are considered as illegal.
