Canada has called for an immediate halt to the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, saying the proliferation of illegal outposts and escalating settler violence threaten prospects for peace and regional stability.
In a statement posted on X, Canada’s Foreign Ministry said Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law and urged an end to their continued expansion, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.
“These settlements are illegal under international law and undermine prospects for peace, security and stability,” the ministry said.
The statement comes amid growing international concern over rising violence in the occupied West Bank. Earlier, the United Nations human rights office said attacks by Israeli settlers and the expansion of settlements had reached an “all-time high.”
The UN has repeatedly warned that increasing settler violence and continued settlement construction are worsening tensions and undermining efforts to achieve a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
According to Palestinian rights organizations, more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank since October 2023, as Israeli military operations and settler attacks have intensified alongside the war in Gaza.
Canada’s latest comments add to mounting international pressure over developments in the West Bank, where settlement expansion remains one of the most contentious issues in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.