The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued a scathing condemnation on Friday, declaring Israel’s plan to construct thousands of new colonial settlement units in the occupied West Bank and near East Jerusalem a flagrant violation of international law.

The announcement, which threatens Palestinian communities with forced displacement—a war crime under international humanitarian law—has ignited widespread international backlash, amplifying calls for justice and accountability.

The OHCHR warned that the settlement expansion, spearheaded by Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, aims to sever East Jerusalem from the West Bank, effectively dismantling the territorial contiguity necessary for a viable Palestinian state. Smotrich’s provocative statement that the plan would “bury the idea of a Palestinian state” has drawn sharp criticism from global leaders and organizations.

The European Union, through foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, slammed the plan as a “breach of international law,” emphasizing its potential to derail peace efforts. The United Kingdom’s Foreign Minister David Lammy echoed this sentiment, condemning the move as a direct threat to regional stability. Turkey’s foreign ministry denounced the expansion as a violation of UN resolutions, asserting that it undermines Palestinian territorial integrity and the two-state solution. Egypt, a key regional player, labeled the plan a “flagrant breach” of international law, accusing Israel of pursuing an extremist agenda to liquidate the Palestinian cause through land confiscation and displacement.

The United Nations, through spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, warned that the settlement project “would put an end to prospects of a two-state solution,” further entrenching Israel’s occupation. Germany called on Israel to halt the construction, citing its illegality, while France described the plan as a threat that isolates East Jerusalem and jeopardizes peace prospects.

Palestinian authorities and advocacy groups have been vocal in their outrage. Ahmed Al-Deek, political adviser to the Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister, called the move “colonial, expansionist, and racist,” accusing Israel of systematically fragmenting the West Bank to prevent Palestinian statehood. Israeli NGO Peace Now labeled the E1 plan “deadly” for peace, warning that it guarantees “many more years of bloodshed.” Breaking the Silence, an Israeli rights group, condemned the expansion as a “land grab” that entrenches apartheid.

The plan, which involves building over 3,400 housing units in the E1 corridor near the Maale Adumim settlement, has been criticized for its strategic aim to isolate Palestinian cities like Ramallah and Bethlehem, forcing residents to navigate lengthy detours and checkpoints. This comes amid heightened settler violence and a broader Israeli crackdown in the West Bank, with reports of hundreds of Palestinian homes demolished and thousands displaced since January 2025.

As global condemnation mounts, advocates for Palestinian rights are urging the international community to move beyond statements and impose concrete measures, such as sanctions, to hold Israel accountable. The OHCHR’s warning of forced evictions as a war crime underscores the urgency of protecting Palestinian communities from further dispossession. With countries like Australia, Britain, France, and Canada signaling potential recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, the global spotlight on Israel’s actions intensifies.

Egypt’s foreign ministry reaffirmed that only a two-state solution, rooted in international law and UN resolutions, can bring lasting peace, warning that Israel’s “delusional beliefs” about a “Greater Israel” are doomed to fail. As the international community grapples with this latest escalation, Palestinian voices continue to demand justice, self-determination, and an end to the occupation that threatens their future. (ILKHA)