BERLIN, Aug 15 — Germany has called on the Israeli occupation government to halt colonial settlement construction in the West Bank, following statements by far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announcing plans to build thousands of colonial units, the Palestine News and Info Agency (Wafa) reported.
A German Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement that Berlin strongly rejects the Israeli government’s approval to build thousands of new colonial units.
The spokesman noted that plans to build the E1 colony and expand the Ma'ale Adumim colonial settlement would further restrict the movement of Palestinian residents in the West Bank by dividing the area in half and isolating it from East Jerusalem.
Germany has repeatedly called on the Israeli government to halt colonial settlement construction in the West Bank, as it violates international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The spokesperson added that such moves complicate steps toward achieving a two-state solution through negotiations and ending the occupation of the West Bank.
