LIVE: Israel's West Bank settlement plan slammed as Gaza assault continues
Four more hunger-related deaths were confirmed in the past 24 hours, raising the total number of Palestinians who have starved to death during Israel's war on Gaza to 239, including 106 children, the enclave's Health Ministry said.
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Al Jazeera
2 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
How the world is reacting to Israel's E1 settlement plan in the West Bank
Israel's announcement that it will illegally build thousands of homes in a highly controversial development in the occupied West Bank – in a move Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich boasted 'buries the idea of a Palestinian state' – has drawn widespread international condemnation. Smotrich announced Thursday that he was pushing ahead with long-frozen plans for the E1 area settlement project that would connect occupied East Jerusalem with the existing illegal Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, located several kilometres to the east. The planned settlement, which was shelved for years amid opposition from the United States and European allies, would comprise more than 3,400 homes for Israeli settlers on Palestinian-owned land that experts say is vital for any future territorially contiguous Palestinian state in the West Bank. Smotrich said the development was being revived as a response to plans by other countries to recognise a Palestinian state. But the response from the rest of the world has been scathing, with governments describing the move as a blatant violation of international law that would fuel regional instability and leave the possibility of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict in tatters. Here's an overview of the reactions so far. Palestine Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the E1 development, in combination with the war in Gaza and escalating settler violence, would only lead to further escalation, tension and instability. He said he held the US responsible for halting Israel's expansionist actions, and noted that the settlement announcement came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had spoken of his vision for a 'Greater Israel'. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, called for international intervention to halt the settlement plans. It considered the E1 settlement 'a continuation of the occupation's plans to undermine the opportunity to establish the Palestinian state on its homeland, weaken its geographical and demographic unity, entrench the division of the West Bank into isolated areas surrounded by a sea of settlements, and facilitate the completion of their annexation'. Qatar Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs slammed the move, saying it 'reaffirms Qatar's unequivocal rejection of the Israeli occupation's policies aimed at expanding settlements and forcibly displacing Palestinian people, measures intended to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state'. Statement | Qatar Condemns Israeli Finance Minister's Approval of Settlement Plans Separating East Jerusalem from the Occupied West Bank#MOFAQatar — Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) August 14, 2025 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry condemned the settlement plans 'in the strongest possible terms', saying they were a violation of international law and a serious threat to the possibility of a two-state solution. In a statement, it called on the international community to 'assume its legal and moral responsibilities, protect the Palestinian people, and fulfil their legitimate rights, including recognition of the Palestinian state'. Jordan Jordan's Foreign Ministry condemned the move in the 'strongest terms'. The ministry's spokesman Sufyan Qudah affirmed his country's 'absolute rejection and condemnation of this settlement plan and the illegal Israeli measures that constitute a blatant violation of international law and international Security Council resolutions'. Qudah warned against the continued expansionist policy of the Israeli government in the occupied West Bank, which the ministry said 'encourages the perpetuation of cycles of violence and conflict in the region'. Turkiye The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the settlement plan 'disregards international law and United Nations resolutions' and 'targets the territorial integrity of the State of Palestine, the basis for a two-state solution, and hopes for lasting peace'. It reaffirmed Turkiye's support for an independent Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. United Kingdom British Foreign Minister David Lammy said the plan must be stopped. 'The UK strongly opposes the Israeli government's E1 settlement plans, which would divide a future Palestinian state in two and mark a flagrant breach of international law,' he said in an emailed statement to the Reuters news agency. The situation in Gaza is appalling and the Israeli government's actions are further jeopardising the two-state solution. @AnitaAnandMP, @jnbarrot and I discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages, a flood of aid and a plan to deliver lasting peace. — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) August 14, 2025 Germany The German government, a strong supporter of Israel, urged Israel to 'stop settlement construction' and said it 'strongly rejects' the plan for the new development 'The settlement construction violates international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions,' a spokesperson for the Foreign Office in Berlin said. 'It complicates a negotiated two-state solution and an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, as demanded by the International Court of Justice,' he added. Spain Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called the expansion plan 'a new violation of international law'. 'It undermines the viability of the two-state solution, the only path to peace,' he said in a social media post. United Nations The United Nations urged Israel to reverse its decision. 'It would put an end to prospects of a two-state solution,' Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told reporters. 'Settlements go against international law … [and] further entrench the occupation.' European Union The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also slammed the plan as a 'breach of international law' that would further undermine a two-state solution. 'If implemented, settlement construction in this area will permanently cut the geographical and territorial contiguity between occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank and sever the connection between the northern and southern West Bank,' said Kallas. 'The EU urges Israel to desist from taking this decision forward, noting its far-reaching implications and the need to consider action to protect the viability of the two-state solution.' She called on Israel to halt its settlement construction altogether, saying its settlement policy, combined with ongoing settler violence and military operations, were 'fuelling an already tense situation on the ground and further eroding any possibility for peace'. Organisation of Islamic Cooperation The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also denounced the plans, saying the Israeli occupation and settlement expansion were illegal under international law, United Nations resolutions, and the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, and must end immediately. The intergovernmental organisation urged the international community to take responsibility, hold Israel accountable, and impose sanctions in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions. Israeli human rights group Israeli advocacy group Peace Now warned that the move was 'guaranteeing many more years of bloodshed'. 'The E1 plan is deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two-state solution,' it said in a statement. 'There is a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to the terrible war in Gaza – the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel – and it will ultimately come.' United States Israel's key ally, the United States, had no immediate words of criticism for the proposal. Asked about the settlement development, a spokesperson for the US State Department said Washington was focused on ending the war in Gaza and ensuring Hamas will never govern that territory again. 'A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration's goal to achieve peace in the region,' the spokesperson said, referring to the Israeli government for further information.
Al Jazeera
3 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Israel's Ben Gvir filmed threatening Marwan Barghouti in prison
Israel's Ben Gvir filmed threatening Marwan Barghouti in prison NewsFeed Palestinian officials have condemned Israeli threats against imprisoned leader Marwan Barghouti, as an 'unprecedented provocation.' National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was filmed making the comments after what was described as 'a raid' on Barghouti's prison cell. Video Duration 01 minutes 06 seconds 01:06 Video Duration 01 minutes 04 seconds 01:04 Video Duration 03 minutes 00 seconds 03:00 Video Duration 01 minutes 01 seconds 01:01 Video Duration 00 minutes 46 seconds 00:46 Video Duration 02 minutes 42 seconds 02:42 Video Duration 01 minutes 00 seconds 01:00
Al Jazeera
4 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Hezbollah says Lebanon disarmament plan serves Israel, vows to keep weapons
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has accused Lebanon's government of 'handing' the country to Israel by pushing for the group's disarmament, warning it would fight to keep its weapons. Qassem spoke in a televised address on Friday after meeting Iran's top security chief, Ali Larijani. Tehran has long backed the Lebanese armed group. Hezbollah emerged badly weakened from last year's war with Israel, and under United States pressure, the Lebanese government has ordered the army to devise a plan to disarm the group by the end of the year. Iran, whose 'axis of resistance' includes Hezbollah, has also suffered a series of setbacks, most recently in its own war with Israel, which saw the US strike its nuclear sites. 'This is our nation together. We live in dignity together, and we build its sovereignty together – or Lebanon will have no life if you stand on the other side and try to confront us and eliminate us,' Qassem said. 'The government is implementing an American-Israeli order to end the resistance, even if it leads to civil war and internal strife,' the Hezbollah leader added. 'The resistance will not surrender its weapons while aggression continues, occupation persists, and we will fight it … if necessary to confront this American-Israeli project no matter the cost,' he said. Qassem urged the government 'not to hand over the country to an insatiable Israeli aggressor or an American tyrant with limitless greed'. He also said the government would 'bear responsibility for any internal explosion and any destruction of Lebanon' as he accused it of 'leading the country to ruin'. Hezbollah and its ally the Amal party would not organise any street protests at this time, he said, while threatening to do so in future. Before the war with Israel in October and November, Hezbollah was believed to be better armed than the Lebanese military. It has long maintained it needs to keep its arsenal to defend Lebanon from attack, but critics accused it of using its weapons for political leverage. This week, Larijani, Iran's Supreme National Security Council chief, was in Beirut, where he met Qassem and President Joseph Aoun. Iran has expressed its opposition to the government's disarmament plan and has promised to continue to provide support to Hezbollah. Aoun told Larijani that he rejected any interference in the country's internal affairs, branding as 'unconstructive' Iran's statements on plans to disarm Hezbollah.
