The European Commission and seven additional countries on Friday joined a call for Israel to immediately retract its plans for the E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank, a day after the statement was initially issued by the leaders of seven Western countries.
Greece, Austria, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and Belgium joined the statement, which was originally issued Thursday by the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and Norway.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen separately described Israel's decision to publish construction tenders for the project as "unacceptable," warning that it could undermine prospects for a two-state solution.
"The Israeli Government's decision to publish construction tenders for the E1 settlement project is unacceptable," von der Leyen said in a post on US social media platform X.
"We have long opposed this step," she added, saying the project "undermines the two-state solution by dividing the West Bank and breaking the territorial continuity of the Palestinian Territories."
Von der Leyen said the European Commission remained committed to "a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution."
The joint statement said Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law and called on the Israeli government to reverse its decision.
"International law is clear that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal. This is the position of the international community reaffirmed by the United Nations Security Council," the statement said.
"At a time of grave instability in the West Bank with unprecedented levels of violence by settlers against civilians, and serious restrictions on the Palestinian economy, this decision is even more concerning," it added.
"We urge the Government of Israel to retract these plans immediately and end its expansion of settlements in the West Bank. Not only will they take us further from peace, but they further undermine Israel's international standing," the statement said.
