European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has slammed the Israeli government’s decision to provide funds for new settlements in occupied Palestinian lands.
“I’m appalled to learn that in the middle of a war, the Israeli gov is poised to commit new funds to build more illegal settlements.”
“This is not self-defence and will not make Israel safer. The settlements are grave IHL breach, and they are Israel’s greatest security liability,” he wrote on X social media.
Borrell was participating in the Forum for the Union of the Mediterranean in Barcelona on Monday.
He also doubled down on the two-state solution, which is backed by all the major global powers, including the EU.
“The settlements are Israel’s greatest security liability and a breach of international law; a Palestinian state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza is the best guarantee for Israel’s security and peace,” Borrell said.
Speaking at the forum, he also welcomed the truce as a key step toward ending the ongoing crisis.
“A four-day truce is an important first step in the Israel-Hamas conflict, but much more is needed to find a way out of the crisis,” he said.
He called for an extension of the truce in the Gaza Strip, which is due to end on Tuesday.
“The pause should be extended to make it sustainable and long-lasting while working for a political solution,” he added.
Earlier Sunday, he demanded that the U.N. Security Council resolution on humanitarian pauses in Gaza must be implemented.
“The decisions of the Security Council are not just words … They have to be implemented,” Borrel said at a joint press conference with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha.
Be First to Comment