On Wednesday 5 May, the European External Action Service spokesperson denounced the Israeli authorities’ announcement of their intention to build 540 new housing units in Har Homa E.
More than 2,000 new homes could also be built in the near future in Givat HaMatos.
“The implementation of these plans, as well as those for Givat HaMatos, would cut off East Jerusalem from Bethlehem and severely undermine future negotiations towards a two-state solution in line with the internationally agreed parameters”, the spokesperson said in a statement.
They once again called on the Israeli government to halt settlement construction and urgently reverse its latest decisions.
In addition, the spokesperson said that the increase in evictions and demolitions throughout the occupied Palestinian Territory, notably the evolving situation in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan in East Jerusalem, and the possible demolition of structures in the Palestinian village of al-Walajeh, are also “alarming”.
“Such unilateral actions are illegal under international humanitarian law and only fuel tensions on the ground”, they warned. Therefore, the spokesperson called on the Israeli authorities to cease such activities and provide adequate permits for the legal construction and development of Palestinian communities. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)