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European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said that an Israeli settlement plan is not in line with international law, and she called on Israeli authorities to refrain from implementing it.
“The decision of Israeli authorities to advance the E1 settlement plan further undermines the two-state solution while being a breach of international law,” Kallas said in a statement. “If implemented, settlement construction in this area will permanently cut the geographical and territorial contiguity between occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank and sever the connection between the northern and southern West Bank. The EU reiterates its call on Israel to halt settlement construction. Israel’s settlement policy - including demolitions, forced transfers, evictions and confiscations of homes - must stop. Coupled with ongoing settler violence and military operations, these unilateral decisions are fuelling an already tense situation on the ground and further eroding any possibility for peace. The EU urges Israel to desist from taking this decision forward, noting its far-reaching implications and the need to consider action to protect the viability of the two-state solution.”
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich earlier announced that work would start on a long-delayed settlement that would divide the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, a move his office said would "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state, according to Reuters.
The Palestinian government, allies and campaign groups condemned the scheme, calling it illegal and saying the fragmentation of territory would rip up peace plans for the region, according to Reuters.