Yemen Monitor / Agencies:
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called on the Israeli government to immediately halt its plan to partition the occupied West Bank into two sections. He stated that the creation of settlements—including those within East Jerusalem—is a violation of international law.
In a statement on Thursday, Guterres affirmed that these illegal settlements “will further entrench the occupation and fuel tensions.”
He added that construction in the “E1” area would separate the northern West Bank from its south, severely undermining the possibility of a viable Palestinian state. He called on “the Israeli authorities to immediately stop this plan.”
Yesterday, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the approval of a settlement plan in the area known as “E1,” which would separate Jerusalem from the West Bank.
According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Smotrich—who also holds a position in the Ministry of Defense that oversees settlement affairs—announced the approval for the construction of 3,401 new settlement units near the Ma’ale Adumim settlement and 3,515 units in the adjacent area.
The newspaper quoted Smotrich as saying that the plan “connects Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem and cuts off Arab communication between the cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem.” He considered the plan to be a burial of the idea of a Palestinian state.
The far-right finance minister said, “For the Palestinians and the international community, this area is strategic, and without it, a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital cannot be established.”
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Smotrich’s approval revives the “E1” project, which has been stalled for decades due to international pressure. It is considered a strategic barrier to the establishment of a Palestinian state and indicates that Israel is pushing toward the annexation of the occupied West Bank.
The “E1” plan is an Israeli settlement project that aims to connect Jerusalem with several Israeli settlements located to its east in the West Bank, such as Ma’ale Adumim. This is to be done by seizing Palestinian lands in the area and establishing new settlements, which would prevent any potential Palestinian expansion.
The head of the Ma’ale Adumim settlement said that the project will completely end the dream of a Palestinian state, while the head of the Regional Council for West Bank settlements said that the announcement brings Israel closer to establishing full sovereignty over the West Bank.
The Palestinians hold onto East Jerusalem as the capital of their hoped-for state, based on resolutions of international legitimacy that do not recognize Israel’s 1967 occupation of the city or its annexation in 1980.
