Brussels, 27/07/2016 (Agence Europe) - Criticising Israel's decision to continue with its plans to build some 770 housing units in the settlement of Gilo, “built on occupied Palestinian land in East Jerusalem”, the spokesperson of the European External Action Service on Tuesday 26 July raised questions about the Hebrew state's “long-term intentions”.
The spokesperson, who called upon Israel to reverse its decision and abandon its settlement policy, stressed that the decision “raises legitimate questions about Israel's long-term intentions”, which are “compounded by the statements of some Israeli ministers that there should never be a Palestinian state”. She explained that the new announcement “undermines the viability of a two-state solution” and “contributes to the establishment of a ring of Israeli settlements around the city (Jerusalem: Ed), thus further cutting East Jerusalem off from the southern West Bank”.
This announcement comes just a few weeks after the Quartet published its report on 1 July calling upon Israel to abandon its settlement policy, which is illegal under international law (EUROPE 11585). Since the publication of the report, the EU spoke out on 5 July against the Israeli decision of 3 July to extend its colonies (EUROPE 11587). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)