EU condemns Israel's plan for 1,200 new settlement units in the E1 area

On August 24, 2026, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, officially condemned the Israeli government's decision to launch a public tender for the construction of over 1,200 residential units in the E1 area of the West Bank. The European External Action Service issued a formal statement describing the move as a major obstacle to regional stability.

Brussels highlighted that implementing the E1 project would effectively split the West Bank into two distinct parts and isolate East Jerusalem, thereby severely threatening the viability of a two-state solution. The EU maintained its long-standing position that all Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law. Furthermore, the declaration addressed the current context of escalating instability, including rising levels of settler violence, while acknowledging that the Israeli judicial system has initiated some prosecutions against perpetrators of such acts.

The EU has explicitly called for the immediate withdrawal of the tender and the suspension of all expansion plans. The bloc reiterated its commitment to a just and comprehensive peace, urging Israel to ensure full accountability for acts of settler violence in the region.