The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Canada have jointly condemned the Israeli Government’s decision to publish construction tenders for the E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank, describing the move as unacceptable and warning that it could further undermine prospects for a two-state solution.
In a joint statement issued on August 20, 2026, the seven governments said the international community had long opposed Israeli settlement expansion and repeatedly raised concerns about its implications for peace and the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They urged Israel to withdraw the plans and halt further settlement expansion.
“The E1 settlement will undermine the prospect of the two-state solution by driving a wedge through the West Bank and harming the territorial contiguity of the Palestinian Territories. International law is clear that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal. This is the position of the international community reaffirmed by the United Nations Security Council.” the statement read.
The E1 project is particularly contentious because of its location east of Jerusalem, between the city and the existing settlement of Ma’ale Adumim. The area, known as E1, has been the subject of Israeli plans for a major settlement development for decades, but successive governments had held back from construction amid international opposition.
The latest tender concerns 1,234 housing units within the wider E1 development, according to reporting by EFE. Those units form part of a larger plan for 3,401 housing units that received final approval in 2025. The publication of the tenders marks a further step towards turning the long-standing E1 plan from an approved project into actual construction.
The seven governments warned that development of E1 would “drive a wedge through the West Bank” and damage the territorial contiguity of the Palestinian territories, potentially separating the northern and southern parts of the West Bank and making the establishment of a geographically viable Palestinian state more difficult.
The strategic importance of E1 stems from its position between East Jerusalem, Ramallah and Bethlehem, an area regarded as an important geographic link within the West Bank. The European Union’s 2025 report on Israeli settlements said development in E1 would split the West Bank into two non-contiguous areas, disrupt the territorial link between its northern and southern parts and effectively consolidate the connection between Ma’ale Adumim and the Israeli urban area around Jerusalem.
The governments also maintained that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law, a position they said has repeatedly been reaffirmed by the United Nations Security Council. Security Council Resolution 2334 states that Israeli settlements in territory occupied since 1967 have “no legal validity” and constitute a flagrant violation under international law.
The International Court of Justice, in its July 2024 advisory opinion, likewise concluded that Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem have been established and maintained in violation of international law and called for an immediate halt to new settlement activity.
The statement came against the backdrop of what the seven governments described as grave instability in the West Bank, citing unprecedented levels of settler violence against civilians and serious restrictions affecting the Palestinian economy. They warned that advancing the E1 project at such a time could further intensify tensions and move the parties further away from a negotiated settlement.
The governments also issued a direct warning to businesses considering involvement in the project, urging companies not to bid for the construction tenders and to consider the potential legal and reputational consequences of participating in settlement construction. They warned that such involvement could expose businesses to the risk of contributing to serious breaches of international law.
“We urge the Government of Israel to retract these plans immediately and end its expansion of settlements in the West Bank. Not only will they take us further from peace, but they further undermine Israel’s international standing.” the governments cautioned
The seven countries called on the Israeli Government to retract the plans immediately and end its expansion of settlements in the West Bank, arguing that continued settlement construction would take the parties further from peace and further undermine Israel’s international standing.
They nevertheless reaffirmed their commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution, saying they would continue to support a negotiated outcome in which Israel and Palestine can exist as two states living side by side in peace and security
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