Germany on Monday warned that Israel's ongoing settlement construction will only "perpetuate the Israeli occupation of the West Bank instead of ending it."
"The German government's position is very clear: settlement construction violates international law. We reject it outright. It also jeopardizes the German government's goal of a negotiated two-state solution and perpetuates the Israeli occupation of the West Bank instead of ending it, as demanded by the ICJ (International Court of Justice)," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kathrin Deschauer told a press briefing in Berlin.
Deschauer's remarks came after Israel's Cabinet approved a proposal for 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, bringing the total number of new settlements over the past few years to 69, according to far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
"The federal (German) government consistently calls on the Israeli government to completely halt settlement construction. For us, it is important that there is a possibility of achieving a two-state solution. This is in the interests of security for the entire region, both for Israel and for the possibility of a future Palestinian state," Deschauer added.
Israeli forces and illegal settlers have killed more than 1,100 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, injured nearly 11,000 and detained around 21,000 since October 2023, according to Palestinian figures.
In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Israel occupies the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 1967.
