The EU urges Israel to stop the expansion of settlements in which settlers attack children | West Bank News

Pressure is mounting on the EU to recognize Israel for expanding illegal settlements and atrocities against Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank.

The European Union has renewed calls for Israel to halt the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, warning that continued construction and other non-aligned measures threaten the future of the Palestinian state.

The EU spokesman on Friday urged Israel to stop the legalization of settlements, land allocations, demolitions, forced expulsions of Palestinians, and other actions that “impede the completion of the two-state solution”.

The statement came days after Israel’s defense minister approved the allocation of 1.3 billion shekels ($427.8m) to establish 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The investment is one of Israel’s biggest recent investments in settlement expansion and has drawn criticism from the Palestinian Authority and its international partners.

The United Nations, the International Court of Justice and many countries consider the Israeli settlements in Israeli territory since 1967 to be illegal under international law. Israel rejects that interpretation.

The EU has been saying that it does not recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the territories it occupied in 1967.

EU foreign ministers this week failed to reach an agreement on proposals that could restrict trade and settlements in the West Bank, despite growing calls from several countries for stronger action.

The new spying push comes amid ongoing violence in the West Bank where Palestinians, including childrenhave been injured in separate incidents involving Israeli settlers and the Israeli army.

On Friday, two Palestinian children were taken to hospital with head and face injuries when Israeli residents allegedly threw stones at their family’s car in the Wadi al-Sha’er area, according to the Palestinian Wafa news agency.

In another incident, a 16-year-old Palestinian boy was shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank. He is still in the hospital.

“Everyone agrees that the situation in the West Bank is difficult,” EU chief Kaja Kallas said before talks between EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.

“What is happening in the West Bank is making it impossible for two countries to start working together,” he said.