Four European countries on Friday sharply criticized Israel's planned expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank and called on Israel to end settlement expansion.
"International law is clear: Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal," the governments of Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom said in a joint statement "on the situation in the West Bank."
The statement mentioned the so-called E1 area located between East Jerusalem and the settlement of Maale Adumim.
The area is considered one of the most sensitive flashpoints in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Development there would in effect split the West Bank into a northern and a southern part, making it more difficult or even impossible to create a contiguous territory for a future Palestinian state.
In the statement, the four countries warned companies against taking part in tenders for construction projects in the E1 area or other building projects.
"They should be aware of legal and reputational consequences of participating in settlement construction including the risk of involving themselves in serious breaches of international law," they said.
The situation in the West Bank has become considerably worse in recent months, the statement said. The four countries also urged the Israeli government to take action against settler violence and investigate allegations against Israeli soldiers in this context.
They also said they opposed those, including some members of the Israeli government, who advocate annexation and the forcible displacement of the Palestinian population. The four repeated their support for a two-state solution "where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace and security within secure and recognized borders."
