On August 20, local time, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement saying that the Israeli government had decided to announce construction bids for the West Bank “Zone E1” settlement project as “unacceptable”, urging Israel to withdraw the related projects immediately and stop expanding the West Bank settlement.
Jewish settlement in the West Bank (data chart)
The statement said the “Zone E1” settlement project would further divide the West Bank, destroy the continuity of Palestinian territory, and damage the prospects of the “two-nation plan”. The statement reiterated that Israel‘s settlement on the West Bank violates international law.
The leaders of the six countries simultaneously called on companies not to participate in bidding on related construction projects, and warned that companies should fully consider the legal and reputation risks they may face, including the risk of becoming accomplices in serious violations of international law.
The statement stated that the six countries will continue to commit to promoting a comprehensive, fair and lasting peace based on the “Two-State Solution”.
On the 20th, the Egyptian foreign ministry and the Belgian foreign minister, Prévost, also issued a statement condemning Israel for advancing the “Zone E1” settlement construction project.
Readings
The Israeli government issued a bid announcement on August 18 for the 1,234-unit housing project in the “Zone E1” settlement. In August 2025, Israeli finance minister Smotrich issued a statement saying he planned to approve the construction of 3,401 units of housing in “Zone E1” with the aim of “burying the State of Palestine concept.” Subsequently, the Home Affairs Administration’s Advanced Planning Committee, a department under the Ministry of Defense, approved the housing construction plan.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem and parts of the West Bank during the Third Middle East War in 1967 and built Jewish settlements. For a long time, the Israeli military imposed restrictions on the activities and access of the Palestinian population, which met with strong opposition from the Palestinian side. (Central Press Reporter Chen Minglei Zhu Xuesong Ruan Jiawen Gu Xin Wu Aimin)