In a coordinated diplomatic push reported on August 20, six European nations—including the UK, France, Germany, and Italy—alongside Canada, issued a joint call for Israel to immediately scrap its so-called “E1 mega-settlement” expansion in the occupied West Bank. The countries made clear they view the project as completely unacceptable.
In a unified statement, these Western governments declared: “We urge the Israeli government to reverse these plans without delay and halt all settlement expansion in the West Bank. Such actions not only push peace further out of reach but also seriously damage Israel’s standing on the global stage.”
Norway and the Netherlands have also signed onto the statement, according to reports.
The controversial E1 expansion initiative envisions constructing roughly 3,400 housing units across a 12-square-kilometer swath of land sandwiched between the Ma’ale Adumim settlement and East Jerusalem in the occupied territories. The signatories warned that this mega-project risks slicing the West Bank in two, effectively killing any realistic hope for a viable two-state solution.
The statement underscored that international law categorically deems Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal—a position repeatedly affirmed by the UN Security Council.
The coalition of nations noted that the international community has “consistently opposed such expansion” and has raised “serious concerns both through private channels and public statements.” These Western governments also emphasized that they’ve urged businesses to steer clear of tenders linked to settlement construction.
The E1 project received Israeli government approval back in August 2025, despite strong objections from Palestinian authorities and the broader international community.
Just days before the joint statement, on the 18th, Israel’s Housing Ministry published tender notices for 1,200 units within the project, according to the Israeli NGO Peace Now and local media reports. Interested bidders have until October 19 to submit proposals—a date landing just eight days before Israel’s legislative elections. That vote will determine whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds onto power, particularly given the far-right factions in his coalition that have long championed annexation of the West Bank.
Notably, before the joint statement emerged, the UK Foreign Office had already summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires in London on the 19th, demanding a pause on construction in the E1 zone. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband conveyed London’s “strong opposition” to the Israeli government’s move directly to Israeli diplomats.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry fired back on social media platform X on the 20th, taking a swipe at Miliband and arguing that “the Jewish people have the right to live throughout the Land of Israel, just as Britons have the right to live throughout London and the UK.”
Palestinians in the West Bank face severe restrictions on freedom of movement under Israeli rule, requiring permits to pass through checkpoints and reach East Jerusalem or Israel proper—though in many cases, these passages are completely sealed off.
Roughly three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, alongside more than half a million Israeli settlers whose presence international law deems illegal.
According to UN figures, as of mid-July, at least 1,111 Palestinians—including at least 243 children—had been killed in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in incidents attributed to radical settlers or military incursions.