PARIS (Reuters) – Several European countries, including France and Germany, said on Friday they were “deeply concerned” by Israel’s decision to allow the construction of more than 4,000 new homes in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. busy.
According to the pacifist organization Peace Now, the Israeli High Planning Committee gave the green light on Thursday to the construction of 4,427 new housing units, including 2,791 on a permanent basis.
In a joint press release, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, the Netherlands and Poland consider that “these new housing units would constitute an additional obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution”, currently at a standstill.
European countries recall that “settlement is a flagrant violation of international law and hinders the establishment of a just, comprehensive and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians”.
“We urge the Israeli authorities to reverse this decision,” they say.
In the same press release, the Europeans call on Israel to stop “the demolitions and (the) evictions of which the Palestinian populations are victims in East Jerusalem”, particularly in the Massafer Yatta district.
The statement came as clashes erupted in Jerusalem during the funeral of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by a bullet attributed by Palestinians to an Israeli sniper this week while reporting in the West Bank.
(Written by Tangi Salaün, edited by Sophie Louet)
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