8 Middle Eastern and Islamic Nations Condemn Israel's Expansion of West Bank Settlements

As the Israeli government pushes forward with expanding settlements in the West Bank, eight Middle Eastern and Islamic countries—including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan—have issued a condemnation.

According to Reuters on the 21st local time, the foreign ministers of these countries said in a joint statement, "We urge Israel to immediately halt the E1 settlement plan," and called for the "withdrawal of all related measures and the cessation of all settlement activities and other actions aimed at altering the geographical and demographic character of the occupied Palestinian territories."

The foreign ministers defined the E1 plan as a "dangerous escalation" aimed at further advancing the expansion and annexation of Palestinian territory.

The E1 area is a 12-square-kilometer tract of land nestled between East Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim, a large Jewish settlement in the West Bank. If a Jewish settlement is built there, the West Bank would be completely divided into a northern sector centered around Ramallah and a southern sector containing Bethlehem and Hebron.

In addition, East Jerusalem—which Palestinians intend to make the capital of their future independent state—would be cut off and isolated from other Palestinian areas in the West Bank.

Recently, the Israeli government abruptly initiated contractor bidding for the construction of settlements in the E1 area, a project that had been suspended on multiple occasions.

Furthermore, the Israeli government moved 30 so-called "pioneer families" into the Kadim settlement near Jenin in the West Bank—from which Israel withdrew in 2005—and held a reopening ceremony the previous day.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.