EU, UK, UN condemn Israeli plan to expand E1 settlement; US offers cautious support

Speaking at a press conference in Ma’ale Adumim, Smotrich said the plan includes 3,401 new housing units and could begin within months if there are no delays. He framed the project as a direct response to international recognition efforts of a Palestinian state. “Those who try to recognize a Palestinian state will get an answer from us on the ground — not in documents or declarations but in facts: homes, neighborhoods, roads and more Jewish families building their lives,” Smotrich said.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich

(Photo: Menahem KAHANA / AFP)

He added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “lets me lead the revolution we’ve been carrying out for the past two years” in the West Bank despite disagreements over Hamas. Smotrich urged Netanyahu to “apply Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria to forever remove from the agenda the idea of dividing the land and ensure that by September the hypocritical leaders in Europe will have nothing to recognize.”

The announcement was welcomed by Israeli settler leaders. Ma’ale Adumim Mayor Guy Yifrah said the expansion “will connect Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem, strengthen the settlement and give our younger generation the opportunity to build their homes here in their hometown alongside their families and communities. This is a victory for determination and love of the land.”The Yesha Council, representing Jewish settlements in the West Bank, said it will push Netanyahu to apply sovereignty over the entire West Bank at the next cabinet meeting. A letter signed by 19 council heads criticized what they called “Israeli hesitation” which they said fuels international support for a Palestinian state.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the plan violates international law and undermines the two-state solution. “The EU reiterates its call on Israel to halt settlement construction,” she said.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the project “a flagrant breach of international law” that would divide a future Palestinian state in two and must be stopped immediately.

The road leading to Ma’ale Adumim

(Photo: AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)

The United Nations also condemned the move. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the settlement “would put an end to prospects of a two-state solution. Settlements go against international law and further entrench the occupation.”

By contrast, the United States offered a more cautious response. A State Department spokesperson said a stable West Bank “keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration’s goal to achieve peace in the region.” Asked about Smotrich’s claim that Netanyahu and President Donald Trump had approved the E1 project, the spokesperson said the U.S. remained focused on ending the war in Gaza and preventing Hamas from governing the territory.

Palestinian officials strongly condemned the plan. A Fatah spokesperson called it “a serious escalation that prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state and disconnects Jerusalem from its surroundings.” Hamas said the move was “dangerous” accusing Israel of seeking to sever Palestinian territorial continuity and annex land.

The E1 area has long been a flashpoint in Israeli-Palestinian tensions, with critics warning that construction there would effectively block the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state.