EU Urges Israel to Halt West Bank Settlement Expansion

The European Union has again asked Israel to stop expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank. In a statement, a spokesperson for the EU's diplomatic service said the bloc calls on Israel to avoid further settlement growth, legalizing outposts, taking land, demolishing homes, and other unilateral actions that hurt the possibility of a two-state solution. This call comes after Israel's security cabinet recently approved a budget of 1.3 billion shekels (about $428 million) to set up 34 new settlements in the West Bank. The EU views such moves as harmful to peace efforts. Many United Nations bodies, Palestinian authorities, and most countries consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. They see them as a major barrier to achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The EU's statement did not specify any new actions it would take if Israel continues building. The bloc has long opposed settlement expansion and supports a negotiated solution that would create a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Israel disputes that the settlements are illegal and says the land is disputed, not occupied. However, international opinion largely sides with the EU and UN position.