Joint statement from 14 countries condemns Israeli building of 19 new settlements in West Bank

CAIRO – 24 December 2025: Governments of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom condemned Wednesday the Israeli security cabinet's approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank.

In a joint statement, the 14 countries said such unilateral actions—part of a wider intensification of settlement policies in the West Bank—not only violate international law but also risk fueling instability.

“They risk undermining the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan for Gaza amid efforts to progress to phase 2 and harming prospects for long-term peace and security across the region," the statement said. "We recall our clear opposition to any form of annexation and to the expansion of settlement policies, including the approval of the E1 settlement and thousands of new housing units.”

The statement called on Israel to reverse the decision, as well as the expansion of settlements, in line with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334.

The 14-country statement affirmed a commitment to the Palestinians’ right of self-determination.

“We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution in accordance with relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side-by-side in peace and security within secure and recognized borders," the statement concluded. "We reaffirm that there is no alternative to a negotiated two-state solution.”