Israel’s planned expansion of illegal settlements in the E1 area, east of occupied East Jerusalem, marks another serious escalation in its unlawful settlement policy and poses a direct threat to the prospects of a viable Palestinian state. The opening of bids on 1 December for 2,167 settlement homes reflects a deliberate effort to reshape the occupied territory through irreversible demographic and geographical changes.
The proposed E1 project would effectively sever the northern and southern West Bank, isolate occupied East Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings and undermine the territorial continuity essential for an independent Palestinian state. Such expansion advances de facto annexation while further eroding the prospects for a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution.
Pakistan has categorically rejected Israel’s settlement expansion, reaffirming that such actions constitute a flagrant violation of international law, Palestinian territorial integrity and the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016) explicitly declares Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, to have no legal validity and demands an immediate halt to all settlement activities. Similarly, the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 reaffirmed the illegality of Israel’s continued occupation and settlements, underscoring the obligation of all states not to recognise or assist in maintaining the unlawful situation.
The international community must move beyond statements of condemnation and take concrete measures to halt the E1 settlement project, enforce relevant UN resolutions and uphold the ICJ’s legal obligations. Preventing trade, investment and other forms of support that sustain illegal settlements is essential to ensuring accountability and protecting Palestinian rights.
Gaza and the West Bank must remain territorially and politically integrated. Pakistan continues to support an independent, sovereign and geographically contiguous State of Palestine, based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. Preserving this vision requires firm international action against unilateral measures that threaten to permanently undermine Palestinian statehood.
Israel’s E1 Settlement Expansion Threatens Palestinian Statehood and Territorial Integrity
Israel’s planned expansion of illegal settlements in the E1 area, east of occupied East Jerusalem, marks another serious escalation in its unlawful settlement policy and poses a direct threat to the prospects of a viable Palestinian state. The opening of bids on 1 December for 2,167 settlement homes reflects a deliberate effort to reshape the occupied territory through irreversible demographic and geographical changes.
The proposed E1 project would effectively sever the northern and southern West Bank, isolate occupied East Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings and undermine the territorial continuity essential for an independent Palestinian state. Such expansion advances de facto annexation while further eroding the prospects for a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution.
Pakistan has categorically rejected Israel’s settlement expansion, reaffirming that such actions constitute a flagrant violation of international law, Palestinian territorial integrity and the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016) explicitly declares Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, to have no legal validity and demands an immediate halt to all settlement activities. Similarly, the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 reaffirmed the illegality of Israel’s continued occupation and settlements, underscoring the obligation of all states not to recognise or assist in maintaining the unlawful situation.
The international community must move beyond statements of condemnation and take concrete measures to halt the E1 settlement project, enforce relevant UN resolutions and uphold the ICJ’s legal obligations. Preventing trade, investment and other forms of support that sustain illegal settlements is essential to ensuring accountability and protecting Palestinian rights.
Gaza and the West Bank must remain territorially and politically integrated. Pakistan continues to support an independent, sovereign and geographically contiguous State of Palestine, based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. Preserving this vision requires firm international action against unilateral measures that threaten to permanently undermine Palestinian statehood.
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