International reactions have strongly opposed the settlement plan approved by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in the occupied West Bank, which isolates Jerusalem and separates the northern West Bank from the south. This is part of reactivating the long-frozen “E1” settlement plan, involving the construction of more than 3,400 housing units in the Ma’ale Adumim settlement. The head of the settlement said the project would completely end the dream of a Palestinian state, while the head of the West Bank settlements council said the announcement brings Israel closer to full sovereignty over the West Bank.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that 19 heads of settlement councils in the West Bank and Gaza envelope are demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu impose sovereignty over the West Bank. Their petition states that a Palestinian state should not be established as it would be a base for terrorism just meters from Israel’s center and pose a threat to its existence. They urged the Prime Minister to take a decision to impose full and effective sovereignty, not just declarations.

In contrast, the Jerusalem Governorate warned against the Israeli government’s decision to reactivate the frozen “E1” settlement plan, stating that these projects are a declaration of war aimed at separating the northern West Bank from the south, isolating Jerusalem from its Arab surroundings, and displacing Khan al-Ahmar and Bedouin communities. The governorate called on the international community, the United Nations, and the International Criminal Court to urgently act to stop this measure and impose sanctions on the occupation.

In international responses, the Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the settlement project, stating, “We condemn Israel’s approval of the settlement construction plan in the E1 area.” It considered this step a disregard of international law and UN resolutions, targeting the territorial integrity of the State of Palestine and the basis for the two-state solution and hopes for lasting peace.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry affirmed that establishing an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and geographical unity on the 1967 borders is the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace in the region.

Similarly, the German Foreign Ministry strongly opposed Israel’s continuation of the settlement project and called on the Israeli government to stop building settlements in the Palestinian territories.

Spain considered Israel’s decision on settlements a “new violation of international law,” with its Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares saying new construction undermines the two-state solution path. He added on X platform, “We strongly condemn settlement expansion and settler violence.”

EU foreign policy chief Kaya Kallas called on Israel to reverse the project, stating that the Israeli authorities’ decision to proceed with the “E1” settlement project constitutes further undermining of the two-state solution and a violation of international law. She noted that the EU urges Israel to retract this decision and points to its wide-ranging consequences. She added that if implemented, the project would eliminate the geographical and regional contiguity between occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank and sever the connection between the northern and southern West Bank.