The European Union called on Israel on Friday to immediately stop the E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank, warning that the latest steps to advance the expansion of settlement settlements pose a threat to regional peace and stability, reports Anadolu.

In a statement, the spokesperson of the European Commission, Anouar El-Anouni, said that the publication of the tender deadline for 3,401 housing units within the the E1 plan, along with the progress of construction work on the so-called “Sovereignty Road”, constitutes a “serious provocation”.

The bloc also expressed concern about the settlement plans in Atarot and Nahalat Shimon in East Jerusalem.

El-Anouni said that Israel’s settlement policy represents an “obstacle to peace, carries the risk of further destabilization in the West Bank, displacement of thousands of Palestinians, fragmentation of the West Bank and prompts further actions by violent settlers”.

He added that continued expansion further undermines the feasibility of a two-state solution, with Al-Quds as the future capital of both states.

“The EU calls on the Government of Israel to immediately withdraw the expansion of settlement settlements, which are illegal under international law, after months of speeding up and intensifying approvals of new settlement plans settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” he said.

The bloc also called on Israel to respect its obligations under international law and ensure the protection of the Palestinian population living in the occupied territories.

Meanwhile, Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos said in a post on the American social platform X that he held a telephone conversation today, along with the foreign policy chief of of the EU, Kaja Kallas, with the Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, emphasizing “the importance of diplomacy in reducing tensions and the need to preserve regional security and stability”.

Source: prizrenpost