EU urges Israel to halt settlement expansion as settlers attack children

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that the European Union has again pressed Israel to stop expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank, saying such moves and related unilateral actions put a future Palestinian state at risk. The call came in a statement on Friday, July 17, after Israel’s security cabinet approved 1.3 billion shekels, about $427.8m, for 34 new settlements in the territory.

According to the report, an EU spokesperson called on Israel to end the legalisation of settlement outposts, land seizures, demolitions, forced evictions and other measures that weaken prospects for a two-state solution. The EU does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over territories occupied in 1967, while the United Nations, the International Court of Justice and most countries regard Israeli settlements there as illegal under international law. Israel disputes that position.

The development comes as the EU debates whether to move beyond criticism. Al Jazeera said EU foreign ministers failed this week to agree on proposals that could limit trade with settlements, despite pressure from some member states for stronger measures. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ahead of Brussels talks that conditions in the West Bank were “intolerable” and were making a two-state outcome increasingly difficult.

The report also linked the diplomatic pressure to continuing violence in the West Bank. Citing the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Al Jazeera said two Palestinian children were hospitalised with head and facial injuries after settlers allegedly threw stones at their family’s vehicle in Wadi al-Sha’er. It also reported that a 16-year-old Palestinian boy was shot by Israeli forces and remained in hospital.