21 Nations Condemn Israel’s West Bank Settlement Plan, Warn of Threat to Two-State Solution

Israel begins push into Gaza City amid renewed international backlash

A coalition of 21 countries, including Britain, France, Australia, Canada, and Italy, has strongly condemned Israel’s approval of a major settlement project in the occupied West Bank, calling it a clear violation of international law and a serious threat to peace in the region.

In a joint statement released Thursday, the countries described the plan—intended to build approximately 3,400 homes between Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim—as “unacceptable” and a move that would “make a two-state solution impossible.”

“We condemn this decision and call for its immediate reversal in the strongest terms,” the foreign ministers declared.

The signatories also included Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the European Commission’s foreign affairs chief.

The statement noted that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a prominent figure in the country’s far-right coalition, openly stated the project would prevent the formation of a contiguous Palestinian state and severely limit Palestinian access to East Jerusalem.

“This brings no benefits to the Israeli people. Instead, it risks undermining security and fuels further violence and instability,” the ministers warned. “The government of Israel still has an opportunity to stop the E1 plan going any further. We encourage them to urgently retract this plan.”

The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) condemned the move, with additional criticism coming from UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

In a direct diplomatic response, Britain summoned Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely to its Foreign Ministry to protest the decision.

“If implemented, these settlement plans would be a flagrant breach of international law and would divide a future Palestinian state in two, critically undermining a two-state solution,” the UK Foreign Office stated.

Israel Moves to Seize Gaza City

The international condemnation coincided with a major military escalation in Gaza, as Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant approved a plan for the complete takeover of Gaza City, described as Hamas’s last major stronghold.

The Israeli military (IDF) confirmed that operations are already underway:

“We are not waiting. We have begun the preliminary actions, and already now, IDF troops are holding the outskirts of Gaza City,” the military said Friday.

The approved military plan includes the mobilization of approximately 60,000 reservists, raising concerns that the expanded campaign will worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

The move comes as tensions between Israel and several Western nations deepen, especially as some prepare to formally recognize a Palestinian state next month. Despite international warnings, Israel’s approval of the E1 settlement project—widely seen as a strategic barrier to Palestinian territorial continuity—has further inflamed diplomatic relations.

Meanwhile, the IDF announced that the second phase of its operation, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots,” has commenced, with full-scale mobilisation expected to begin in early September.