Spain condemns Israeli expansion of settlements as violation of international law

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Thursday condemned Israel's expansion of settlements as a new violation of international law.

"The Israeli government's decision to build 3,000 homes in the West Bank is a new violation of international law. It undermines the viability of the two-state solution, the only path to peace. We condemn the expansion of settlements and the violence of settlers," Albares wrote on US social media company X.

On Thursday, Israeli media reported that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich approved the construction of 3,401 settler units in Ma'ale Adumim, east of Jerusalem, and 3,515 more in surrounding areas. The project aims to split the West Bank into two parts, severing connections between its northern and southern cities and isolating East Jerusalem.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry denounced the move as part of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vision for "Greater Israel," warning it would entrench the occupation and eliminate the viability 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 an advisory 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.