BRUSSELS, August 24, 2026 (WAFA) – The European Union said that the Israeli government’s publication of a tender for the construction of more than 1,200 housing units under the E1 colonial settlement project fundamentally undermines the prospects for a two-state solution.

In a statement by the High Representative on Israel’s E1 settlement plan in the West Bank, the EU said that implementing the E1 plan would divide the West Bank in two and isolate East Jerusalem, further undermining the viability of a Palestinian state.

It noted that these developments come amid increasing instability in the West Bank and record levels of colonists’ violence.

“The EU position is clear: Israel’s settlements in the West Bank, including in the E1 area, are illegal under international law,” said the statement.

It called on Israel to withdraw the tender, halt the E1 plan and all other colonial settlement expansion projects, and ensure accountability for those responsible for colonists’ violence.

The EU reiterated its unwavering commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions, where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace and security within secure and recognized borders.

T.R.