Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Saturday, February 24, 2024

EU’s top diplomat slams Smotrich for ‘inflammatory and dangerous’ plan to construct new settlement homes

24 February 2024, 6:59 pm 1 Edit
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell speaks during a press conference at the end of an Informal Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, on February 12, 2023. (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP)
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell speaks during a press conference at the end of an Informal Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, on February 12, 2023. (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP)

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell condemns the announcement by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich last week that the committee in charge of approving settlement construction in the West Bank will convene to approve thousands of new housing units across several settlements

“The announcement by Israeli Minister Smotrich to build 3,300 new units in illegal West Bank settlements is inflammatory and dangerous,” Borrell writes on X, formerly Twitter.

“Settlements make Israelis and Palestinians less safe, fuel tensions, obstruct peace efforts, and constitute a grave breach of international law,” he adds.

According to Smotrich, who is also a minister within the Defense Ministry, the committee will approve plans to build 2,350 units in Ma’ale Adumim, 300 in Keidar and 694 in Efrat.

The announcement came after a deadly terror attack outside of Ma’ale Adumim on Thursday in which one person was killed and 11 others were injured.

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