She added in a statement, “This step completely ignores international law and United Nations resolutions, targeting the territorial integrity of the State of Palestine, the basis for a two-state solution, and hopes for peace.” She emphasized that establishing an independent Palestinian state is the only way to achieve lasting peace.
Earlier, on Thursday, the far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the approval of plans to establish new settlements within the “E1 Project,” aimed at separating East Jerusalem from the West Bank and linking it to the “Ma’ale Adumim” settlement. This move is considered by the international community as a violation of international law and a threat to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Smotrich stated during a press conference in the targeted area: The minister noted that the project is carried out “in full coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and our friends in the United States,” announcing that Netanyahu “is working to bring one million new settlers” to the West Bank, which he described as “an integral part of Israel’s sovereignty.” Smotrich added that the approval of the project is part of the “de facto sovereignty plan” that the government is implementing on the ground, considering the step as “the embodiment of Zionism in its finest form.”
It is noted that the United Nations and most international powers see that Israeli settlement expansion undermines the chances of a two-state solution by tearing apart Palestinian territories. Reports indicate significant violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, where dozens of Palestinians have been killed, farms and homes destroyed, and water and electricity cut off from Palestinian residential areas.
According to international and Israeli human rights organizations, including “B’Tselem” and “Human Rights Watch,” as well as United Nations reports, the vast majority of settler attacks go unpunished.
