Twenty-one countries, including the UK, Australia, and Japan, have condemned Israel’s plan to build a controversial settlement in the occupied West Bank. The countries claim that this decision makes it impossible to achieve a two-state solution for Palestinians.
The E1 settlement, which will cover 12 square kilometers east of Jerusalem, includes 3,400 new homes for Israeli settlers. This development could divide the occupied West Bank from East Jerusalem and link thousands of existing settlements in the area.
Palestinians view East Jerusalem as their top choice for the capital of a future Palestinian state. The group of countries said that dividing any Palestinian state or restricting access to Jerusalem would make it impossible for them to achieve their goals.
The European Commission, the Palestinian Authority, and the UN have all opposed the plan. Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that settlements like E1 will erase Palestine from the map, undermining peace efforts.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/22/over-20-nations-join-eu-un-in-opposing-israels-illegal-e1-settlement-plan