Foreign ministers from Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt condemned Israel’s E1 West Bank settlement plan in a joint statement on Friday. “The E1 settlement plan constitutes a dangerous escalation that further advances settlement expansion and annexation and undermines the geographical contiguity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly between the West Bank and East Jerusalem,” said the statement.
The ministers alleged that the plan threatens the “viability and realization of an independent, contiguous Palestinian State” and “constitutes a direct challenge to international efforts aimed at achieving peace, foremost among them [US] President Donald Trump’s Comprehensive Plan.” The ministers’ statement comes only a day after France, Germany, Britain and Italy released a joint condemnation of the E1 plan.
The countries called the project “unacceptable,” with the UK threatening to prepare targeted sanctions against those involved in settlement expansion. A spokesperson for the US State Department spoke to N12 News later on Friday, saying that the US government "does not support annexation, noting that the stance is something US President Donald Trump "has already made clear."
The government’s plan includes populating the West Bank’s E1 area, located between Ma’aleh Adumim and Jerusalem, with 3,412 new housing units expected to expand the settlement city by around 12 square kilometers. The Civil Administration's Higher Planning Committee approved the project in 2025. (Read More)
