Overview
- The joint statement was issued by Germany, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom.
- Israel’s security cabinet approved the plan on Sunday, advancing a proposal from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz.
- Smotrich has said the expansion is intended to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.
- The governments urged Israel to reverse the decision and halt settlement building, warning of risks to regional stability and prospects for peace.
- A United Nations report counted 47,390 settlement housing units developed, approved or tendered in 2025, the highest on record, with approvals over three years rising to 69 new settlements.