Western nations warn Israel to end illegal settlement expansion, violence

Nine Western countries issued a joint warning to the Israel government on May 22, 2026, urging it to halt settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and address a surge in settler violence that the countries said is destabilizing the territory and damaging prospects for a two-state solution ^[2].

In the joint statement, the countries said “settler violence is at unprecedented levels,” and argued that “the policies and practices of the Israeli government... are undermining stability and prospects for a two-state solution” ^[2]. The statement framed the recent rise in attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank as a central concern, saying the violence has reached “unprecedented levels” in recent months ^[1].

The warning came as attention focused on a plan to build thousands of new housing units in the E1 area east of occupied East Jerusalem, a project that would physically connect the Ma’ale Adumim settlement to Jerusalem ^[1]. Al Jazeera described the proposal this way: “The plan to build thousands of new housing units in the E1 area, east of occupied East Jerusalem, would link the large and illegal Ma’ale Adumim settlement with Jerusalem” ^[1].

The nine countries’ statement did not just criticize violence, but also pressed Israel to stop expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to Al Jazeera’s account of the document ^[2]. Al Jazeera reported that “Nine Western countries have urged Israel to stop expanding its settlements in the occupied West Bank, in a joint statement” ^[2].

The statement’s emphasis on the E1 area reflects long-running international concerns that construction there could further fragment Palestinian territory in the West Bank and complicate the geographic contiguity often cited as necessary for a viable Palestinian state, as the project would link Ma’ale Adumim with Jerusalem ^[1].

The joint statement was issued on May 22, 2026, and was reported as coming from nine Western countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, according to the event details and Al Jazeera’s reporting ^[2]. The statement’s central claims—that settler violence has reached “unprecedented levels” and that Israeli government policies are undermining stability and the two-state outlook—were presented as the countries’ rationale for urging a halt to settlement expansion ^[2].

The countries’ intervention also highlighted the West Bank as the focal point of their concerns, with the statement explicitly pointing to “settler violence” there and tying it to broader political consequences for any future two-state agreement ^[2]. The warning landed as scrutiny intensified around the E1 building plan east of occupied East Jerusalem, which Al Jazeera said would link Ma’ale Adumim with Jerusalem through thousands of new housing units ^[1].