Israel/Palestine: Statement by the Spokesperson on announced further expansion of illegal settlements

The European Union condemns in the strongest terms the announcement by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that five outposts are to be legalised in the occupied Palestinian territory. This is another deliberate attempt at undermining peace efforts.

At this week's European Council, EU leaders condemned the Israeli government's decisions to further expand illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank and urged Israel to reverse these decisions. In line with its longstanding common position and UN Security Council Resolutions, the EU will not recognise changes to the 1967 borders unless agreed by the parties.

The EU stresses that actions weakening the Palestinian Authority must stop and calls on Israel to release withheld clearance revenues and to take the necessary measures to ensure that correspondent banking services between Israeli and Palestinian banks remain in place.

The EU reiterates its unwavering commitment to lasting and sustainable peace in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, on the basis of the two-State solution, with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign and viable State of Palestine living side-by-side in peace, security and mutual recognition.