European countries call on Israel to reverse settlement decision

The governments of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK on Thursday urged Israel to reverse its decision to advance settlement construction in the Har Homa E area.

The joint statement called on the Israeli government “to reverse its decision to advance the construction of 540 settlement units in the Har Homa E area of the occupied West Bank, and to cease its policy of settlement expansion across the Occupied Palestinian Territories.”

“Settlements are illegal under international law, and threaten prospects for a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” it read.

“We call on both sides to refrain from any unilateral action and resume a credible and meaningful dialogue, to advance efforts for the two-state solution and an end to the conflict,” it also said.