Ramallah: Palestine and Jordan denounced on Thursday an Israeli government plan to build 22 more settlements in the occupied West Bank as an infringement of Palestinian rights.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Palestinian Authority stated that the new Israeli settlement plan constitutes "a dangerous escalation that drags the region into a cycle of violence and instability." The statement highlighted the potential repercussions on regional peace and stability due to the expansion of settlements.
Jordan's Foreign Ministry criticized the Israeli decision as "a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law," describing it as a move that undermines peace prospects. The ministry asserted that the Israeli settlement measures and decisions in the occupied West Bank are "null and void," as Israel has no sovereignty over Palestinian land.
The Palestinian resistance group Hamas condemned the Israeli plan as "an additional confirmation" that Israel is accelerating steps to Judaize Palestinian lands. Hamas argued that the Israeli settlement plan represents "an impudent challenge to the international will" and "a grave violation of international law and UN resolutions." The group urged the international community and the UN "to take deterrent steps" to confront Israeli attempts to obliterate the Palestinian cause and to end its settlement expansion policies.
On Wednesday, the Israeli Defense Ministry confirmed that the government approved the construction of 22 new settlements in the West Bank. A ministry statement indicated that the new settlements will 'strengthen the strategic grip on all parts of Judea and Samaria [West Bank]' and 'prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.'
The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law. The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, a framework seen as key to resolving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land illegal and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.