9 Nations Urge Israel to Halt 3,401-Home E1 Settlement as West Bank Violence Hits Record
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 23
9 Nations Urge Israel to Halt 3,401-Home E1 Settlement as West Bank Violence Hits Record
9 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 23
Anthony Albanese and eight other leaders said Israel must stop expanding West Bank settlements, warning the E1 project near East Jerusalem would be a serious breach of international law.
3,401 planned housing units in E1 would link East Jerusalem to another settlement and effectively split the West Bank in two, the joint statement said.
The nine countries said settler violence has reached unprecedented levels and accused Israeli policies of entrenching control, undermining stability and prospects for a two-state solution.
Businesses were told not to bid on E1 or other settlement tenders because of legal and reputational risks, while Israel was urged to investigate alleged abuses, curb settler violence and ease restrictions on the Palestinian Authority.
Australia said the statement did not mark a policy shift, but broadened a coordinated Western push after several countries last year sanctioned ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.
What specific penalties will nations impose on companies building in the controversial E1 settlement project?
As settler violence rises, will international courts be the only path to justice for Palestinians?
With the West Bank being divided, is the international community's two-state solution goal already dead?
E1 Settlement Plan and Record-High Settler Violence in the West Bank: 2,700 Palestinians Displaced, International Condemnation Mounts (2026)
Overview
In February 2026, Israel approved a plan to designate large areas of Palestinian land in the West Bank as state property, sparking strong international criticism and specific condemnations of annexation and forcible displacement. The Palestinian Authority welcomed a joint statement from the international community as a positive step, but called for concrete actions to pressure Israel. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in the West Bank has worsened, with the UNRWA chief describing the conflict as a 'silent war' amid record levels of Israeli violence. These developments highlight the urgent need for effective international intervention.