'There will be no Palestinian state,' Israel's PM says as he signs West Bank settlement plan

Published on 11/09/2025 - 20:47 GMT+2

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signed an statement to push up pinch a arguable colony description scheme that will trim crossed onshore that nan Palestinians dream would shape nan ground of a early state.

"There will not beryllium a Palestinian state," Netanyahu said during a sojourn to nan Maale Adumim colony successful nan West Bank connected Thursday.

"This spot belongs to us...We will safeguard our heritage, our onshore and our security. We are going to double nan city’s population."

Israel's Higher Planning Committee gave last support for nan E1 colony task successful nan occupied West Bank successful August.

The plan, connected an unfastened tract of onshore eastbound of Jerusalem, has been nether information for much than 2 decades but was stiff owed to US unit during erstwhile administrations.

The Israeli business of Palestinian territories is forbidden nether world law. Last year, nan International Court of Justice declared successful a landmark ruling that Israel should extremity colony activity successful nan West Bank and East Jerusalem and extremity its business of those areas, arsenic good arsenic Gaza, arsenic soon arsenic possible.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a erstwhile settler leader, formed nan support arsenic a rebuke to Western countries that announced their plans to recognise a Palestinian authorities successful caller weeks.

"The Palestinian authorities is being erased from nan array not pinch slogans but pinch actions," he said.

"Every settlement, each neighbourhood, each lodging portion is different nail successful nan coffin of this vulnerable idea."

Several countries, including nan UK and nan Netherlands, person successful caller weeks moved to punishment Smotrich, arsenic good arsenic National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for inciting settler unit against Palestinians and calling for nan taste cleansing of Gaza.

In a station connected X, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned nan support of nan E1 project, calling it "a flagrant breach of world law".

Germany's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Josef Hinterseher besides condemned nan move during a news conference.

"The position of nan national authorities is clear: we powerfully cull this approval. The colony building violates world rule and applicable UN Security Council resolutions," he said.

The location of E1 is important because it is 1 of nan past geographical links betwixt nan awesome West Bank cities of Ramallah, successful nan north, and Bethlehem, successful nan south.

The 2 cities are 22 kilometres apart, but Palestinians walking betwixt them must return a wide detour and walk done aggregate Israeli checkpoints, spending hours connected nan journey.

The dream was that, successful an eventual Palestinian state, nan region would service arsenic a nonstop nexus betwixt nan cities.

Israel’s description of settlements is portion of an progressively dire reality for Palestinians successful nan occupied West Bank arsenic nan world’s attraction focuses connected nan warfare successful Gaza.

There person been marked increases successful attacks by settlers connected Palestinians, evictions from Palestinian towns, Israeli subject operations, and checkpoints that choke state of movement.