Nine Western nations jointly warn Israel to halt West Bank settlement expansion and violence

Nine Western countries on Friday issued a joint statement urging Israel to halt settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and to address a surge in settler violence, warning businesses against participating in construction tenders for the E1 project.

The signatories — the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and the Netherlands — said Israeli settlements in the West Bank are a “breach of international law.” The statement, released on May 22, 2026, said: “Over the past few months, the situation in the West Bank has deteriorated significantly. Settler violence is at unprecedented levels.”

The statement specifically warned businesses not to bid for construction tenders for the E1 settlement project or other settlement developments, citing “legal and reputational consequences.” The E1 project would cover 12 square kilometres (4.6 square miles) east of occupied East Jerusalem, linking the large Ma’ale Adumim settlement with Jerusalem and effectively bisecting the West Bank, isolating Palestinian communities. More than 700,000 Israelis currently live in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The joint statement called on Israel to “end its expansion of settlements and administrative powers, ensure accountability for settler violence and investigate allegations against Israeli forces.” It also urged Israel to “lift financial restrictions on the PA [Palestinian Authority] and the Palestinian economy.” In February, Israel approved a plan to claim large areas of Palestinian land in the West Bank as “state property.”

The diplomatic intervention followed a tense week after Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video of himself taunting foreign activists who had been abducted from a Gaza-bound flotilla. The activists were shown cable-tied and kneeling as Israel’s national anthem played. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot denounced Ben-Gvir’s actions as “unacceptable.” Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand called the incident “deeply troubling.” UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the video showed “totally disgraceful scenes.”

On Thursday, Israel deported hundreds of the flotilla activists. After their release, the activists said they were subjected to abuse while in Israeli custody; some reported sexual abuse and several were hospitalised with injuries.