A coalition of fourteen nations, including twelve European states, has issued a joint condemnation of Israel's recent approval of new settlement construction in the occupied territories. The statement, signed by countries including France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, declares the move a violation of international law and warns that such unilateral actions risk fuelling regional instability. The signatories expressed clear opposition to any annexation of Palestinian land, specifically referencing the E1 settlement plan and thousands of new housing units, while reaffirming that there is no alternative to a negotiated two-state solution.

The diplomatic warning directly links the accelerated settlement policy to the deteriorating situation across the region, noting that it jeopardises not only the fragile ceasefire in Gaza but also any prospect of lasting security. This expansion is framed as intensifying longstanding patterns of oppression and discrimination, with human rights organisations increasingly warning of the risk of ethnic cleansing facing Palestinian communities in the West Bank amid ongoing violence and land seizures.

The condemnation arrives as settlement activity reaches a new peak, with Israel having approved 69 new outposts in the last three years alone. The international court of justice has previously ruled such prolonged occupation and settlement construction illegal, ordering their dismantlement. With nearly 1,102 Palestinians killed and approximately 21,000 detained in the West Bank over the past two years, the joint statement underscores a growing international consensus that settlement expansion is a primary obstacle to peace and a direct challenge to the Palestinian right to self-determination.