Palestinian Embassy in Cyprus condemns new Israeli settlement plans

The Embassy of the State of Palestine in Cyprus issued a formal statement on August 20, 2026, condemning the Israeli government's decision to launch a tender for the construction of 1,234 new settlement units in the E1 area. This region is located between East Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement.

According to the Palestinian diplomatic mission, this project poses a direct threat to the two-state solution. Officials argue that the expansion would disrupt the geographical continuity of the West Bank and sever East Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings, rendering the establishment of a viable, independent Palestinian state physically impossible. The embassy maintains that such settlements violate international law and undermine prospects for peace.

In response, the Palestinian Embassy has called upon the European Union and the international community to move beyond verbal expressions of concern. It urged these entities to implement concrete political, economic, and diplomatic measures to halt the policy, stating that past lack of action has allowed the ongoing expansion to continue.