France, Canada Condemn Israeli Legalization of West Bank Settlement Outposts
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – France and Canada have strongly condemned the Israeli far-right regime's decision to legalize five settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank, along with the regime's recent sanctions on the Palestinian Authority.
The French Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Monday, expressing its “strong condemnation” of the moves, including the Israeli Civil Administration's recent declaration regarding the expropriation of thousands of acres of land in the strategic Jordan Valley.
The statement highlighted the severity of these actions, citing their implications for the stability of the West Bank and the broader region. “Israeli colonization of the Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem al-Quds, constitutes a violation of international law,” the ministry stated. It further emphasized that this policy not only obstructs a just and lasting peace but also escalates ground tensions as settler violence against Palestinians increases.
Canada also called on Israel's right-wing coalition to reverse these decisions, arguing that they contravene international law. “Canada firmly opposes Israel’s decision to approve new settlements in the West Bank. Unilateral actions, such as financially weakening the Palestinian Authority and expanding settlements, are in contravention of international law,” the Canadian Foreign Ministry stated on its official X account.
On June 27, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that the regime’s Security Cabinet had approved one outpost for every country that recognized Palestine as a state a month earlier. Spain, Ireland, and Norway formally recognized the Palestinian state in May, joining over 140 UN member states. Slovenia and Malta have also indicated intentions to formally recognize Palestine.
The five settlement outposts include Evyatar, Givat Assaf, Sde Efraim, Heletz, and Adorayim. The European Union condemned the move as “another deliberate attempt at undermining peace efforts,” while Germany described it as “disturbing and cynical.”
Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, called the move a “war of genocide” against Palestinians, describing the settlements as “illegal colonies that violate all international resolutions.”
More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements established since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds. The international community considers these settlements illegal under international law and the Geneva Conventions due to their construction on occupied territories. Palestinians seek the West Bank as part of a future independent state with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.