Four European Countries Demand Occupation to Immediately Stop Settlement and Warn Construction Companies

Four major European countries, Italy, France, Britain, and Germany, issued a joint statement on Friday, demanding that the occupation authorities immediately and comprehensively cease all settlement activities in the occupied West Bank. In their statement, the countries expressed their deep concern over the continued Israeli urban expansion on Palestinian lands, considering these steps to undermine the chances of peace and stability in the region.

The quadripartite statement strongly condemned the escalation of settler attacks against Palestinian citizens and their properties, describing the current levels of violence as unprecedented and directly threatening civilian lives. The signatory countries stressed the necessity for the occupation government to fulfill its responsibilities in providing protection for Palestinians and ensuring full legal accountability for all who commit acts of violence or violations in the occupied territories.

In an escalating move towards the economic aspect of settlement, the four countries issued a clear warning to international contracting and construction companies against participating in any tenders related to the construction of settlements. Sources confirmed that economic involvement in these projects carries legal and political risks, calling on the private sector to adhere to international law and not contribute to perpetuating the occupation through illegal construction projects.

The joint European position also included a clear demand for transparent and impartial investigations into all allegations and complaints directed against the practices of the occupation forces in the West Bank. The countries emphasized the importance of ending the administrative authorities of the occupation in the occupied territories, stressing that the continuation of the current situation and the escalation of violations require firm international intervention to ensure the application of justice and the protection of human rights.

We call on the occupation government to end its settlement expansion and administrative authorities in the occupied territories, and to ensure full legal accountability for settler violence.