France, Germany, Britain and Italy condemned plans by Israel to open up construction tenders for a major residential property project for Israeli settlers dubbed “E1” in the occupied West Bank.
“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,” the joint statement from Paris, Rome, Berlin and London said.
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“We urge the Government of Israel to retract these plans immediately and end its expansion of settlements in the West Bank,” it added, warning businesses against bidding for the construction tenders at risk of “involving themselves in serious breaches of international law”.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have settled among millions of Palestinians in the Palestinian territory, which has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 war.
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These settlements are illegal under international law.
Israel approved the plans for the roughly 12-square-kilometre parcel of land just east of Jerusalem in August last year.
The plan seeks to build around 3,400 homes on the ultra-sensitive tract of land, which lies between Jerusalem and the illegal Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim.
The UN secretary general said at the time that E1 posed an “existential threat” to a contiguous Palestinian state.
The project would further separate east Jerusalem, occupied and annexed by Israel and predominantly inhabited by Palestinians, from the West Bank.
The latest tender covers more than 1,200 housing units, according to Israeli NGO Peace Now.
Peace Now said Israel’s housing ministry published the tender on August 18 and immediately opened it for bids.
Submissions are due by October 19, one week before Israeli elections scheduled for October 27.
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The group said the homes accounted for about one-third of the planned E1 development and accused the government of trying to advance construction commitments before the vote.
Israel heavily restricts the movement of West Bank Palestinians, who must obtain permits from authorities to travel through checkpoints to cross into east Jerusalem or Israel.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)
