The European Union (EU) has voiced strong condemnation against Israel’s recent seizure of 800 hectares of land in the Jordan Valley of the occupied West Bank.
In a statement released on Sunday, the EU expressed firm opposition to the declaration by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, asserting over 800 hectares of land as ‘state lands’ within the occupied Palestinian territory. Notably, this marks the largest land confiscation since the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1994 between the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Israel.
“Settlements are a grave breach of international humanitarian law. At this week’s European Council, EU leaders condemned Israeli government decisions to further expand illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank, urging Israel to reverse these decisions,” the EU emphasised, underscoring its stance against Israel’s decision to further expand illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank.
Additionally, the EU reiterated its commitment to security both in rhetoric and action, condemning Hamas vehemently and employing sanctions and other measures as necessary.
The Palestinian presidency swiftly denounced Israel’s move to seize land in the Jordan Valley, while Palestinian and Israeli human rights organisations have observed a concerning uptick in settlement activity since Benjamin Netanyahu’s government came into power in late 2022.
Estimates from the Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission reveal that more than 720,000 Israelis currently reside in illegal settlements across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The international consensus deems these settlements illegal and impediments to the realisation of the two-state solution, which advocates for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.