Israel’s announcement that it will illegally build thousands of homes in a highly controversial development in the occupied West Bank – in a move Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich boasted “buries the idea of a Palestinian state” – has drawn widespread international condemnation.
Smotrich announced Thursday that he was pushing ahead with long-frozen plans for the E1 area settlement project that would connect occupied East Jerusalem with the existing illegal Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, located several kilometres to the east.
The planned settlement, which was shelved for years amid opposition from the United States and European allies, would comprise more than 3,400 homes for Israeli settlers on Palestinian-owned land that experts say is vital for any future territorially contiguous Palestinian state in the West Bank.
Smotrich said the development was being revived as a response to plans by other countries to recognise a Palestinian state.
But the response from the rest of the world has been scathing, with governments describing the move as a blatant violation of international law that would fuel regional instability and leave the possibility of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict in tatters. Here’s an overview of the reactions so far.
Palestine
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the E1 development, in combination with the war in Gaza and escalating settler violence, would only lead to further escalation, tension and instability.
He said he held the US responsible for halting Israel’s expansionist actions, and noted that the settlement announcement came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had spoken of his vision for a “Greater Israel”.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, called for international intervention to halt the settlement plans.
It considered the E1 settlement “a continuation of the occupation’s plans to undermine the opportunity to establish the Palestinian state on its homeland, weaken its geographical and demographic unity, entrench the division of the West Bank into isolated areas surrounded by a sea of settlements, and facilitate the completion of their annexation”.
Qatar
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs slammed the move, saying it “reaffirms Qatar’s unequivocal rejection of the Israeli occupation’s policies aimed at expanding settlements and forcibly displacing Palestinian people, measures intended to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state”.
Statement | Qatar Condemns Israeli Finance Minister’s Approval of Settlement Plans Separating East Jerusalem from the Occupied West Bank#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/5BRIC3didA
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) August 14, 2025
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the settlement plans “in the strongest possible terms”, saying they were a violation of international law and a serious threat to the possibility of a two-state solution.
In a statement, it called on the international community to “assume its legal and moral responsibilities, protect the Palestinian people, and fulfil their legitimate rights, including recognition of the Palestinian state”.
Jordan
Jordan’s Foreign Ministry condemned the move in the “strongest terms”. The ministry’s spokesman Sufyan Qudah affirmed his country’s “absolute rejection and condemnation of this settlement plan and the illegal Israeli measures that constitute a blatant violation of international law and international Security Council resolutions”.
Qudah warned against the continued expansionist policy of the Israeli government in the occupied West Bank, which the ministry said “encourages the perpetuation of cycles of violence and conflict in the region”.
Turkiye
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the settlement plan “disregards international law and United Nations resolutions” and “targets the territorial integrity of the State of Palestine, the basis for a two-state solution, and hopes for lasting peace”.
It reaffirmed Turkiye’s support for an independent Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
United Kingdom
British Foreign Minister David Lammy said the plan must be stopped.
“The UK strongly opposes the Israeli government’s E1 settlement plans, which would divide a future Palestinian state in two and mark a flagrant breach of international law,” he said in an emailed statement to the Reuters news agency.
The situation in Gaza is appalling and the Israeli government’s actions are further jeopardising the two-state solution.
@AnitaAnandMP, @jnbarrot and I discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages, a flood of aid and a plan to deliver lasting peace.— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) August 14, 2025
Germany
The German government, a strong supporter of Israel, urged Israel to “stop settlement construction” and said it “strongly rejects” the plan for the new development
“The settlement construction violates international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” a spokesperson for the Foreign Office in Berlin said.
“It complicates a negotiated two-state solution and an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, as demanded by the International Court of Justice,” he added.
Spain
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called the expansion plan “a new violation of international law”.
“It undermines the viability of the two-state solution, the only path to peace,” he said in a social media post.
United Nations
The United Nations urged Israel to reverse its decision. “It would put an end to prospects of a two-state solution,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told reporters.
“Settlements go against international law … [and] further entrench the occupation.”
European Union
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also slammed the plan as a “breach of international law” that would further undermine a two-state solution.
“If implemented, settlement construction in this area will permanently cut the geographical and territorial contiguity between occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank and sever the connection between the northern and southern West Bank,” said Kallas.
“The EU urges Israel to desist from taking this decision forward, noting its far-reaching implications and the need to consider action to protect the viability of the two-state solution.”
She called on Israel to halt its settlement construction altogether, saying its settlement policy, combined with ongoing settler violence and military operations, were “fuelling an already tense situation on the ground and further eroding any possibility for peace”.
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also denounced the plans, saying the Israeli occupation and settlement expansion were illegal under international law, United Nations resolutions, and the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, and must end immediately.
The intergovernmental organisation urged the international community to take responsibility, hold Israel accountable, and impose sanctions in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions.
Israeli human rights group
Israeli advocacy group Peace Now warned that the move was “guaranteeing many more years of bloodshed”.
“The E1 plan is deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two-state solution,” it said in a statement.
“There is a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to the terrible war in Gaza – the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel – and it will ultimately come.”
United States
Israel’s key ally, the United States, had no immediate words of criticism for the proposal. Asked about the settlement development, a spokesperson for the US State Department said Washington was focused on ending the war in Gaza and ensuring Hamas will never govern that territory again.
“A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration’s goal to achieve peace in the region,” the spokesperson said, referring to the Israeli government for further information.
