Palestine welcomes the international stance against the "E1" settlement project.

The Palestinian presidency welcomed, on Thursday, a joint statement issued by 21 countries, in addition to the European Union, which condemned the Israeli settlement project "E1". The presidency affirmed that this project undermines the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state by dividing the West Bank and isolating Jerusalem.

In its statement, the Palestinian presidency considered the international stance an important and necessary step, calling for pressure to be exerted on the Israeli occupying state to force it to retract these dangerous settlement plans that separate southern West Bank from its center.

The joint statement issued by 21 countries, including Britain and Canada, along with the European Union, condemned the Israeli occupation's decision to proceed with the "E1" project, calling for an immediate retraction of this decision that would expand the occupation in Palestinian territories.

The statement emphasized that the decision of the Israeli High Planning Committee to approve settlement construction plans in the "E1" area east of Jerusalem is unacceptable and constitutes a violation of international law. The signatories of the statement strongly condemned this decision, demanding its immediate retraction.

The statement referenced remarks by the extremist Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who said that this project would make any future Palestinian state impossible by dividing it and restricting Palestinians' access to Jerusalem. He also added that this project would not benefit Israelis but threatens to undermine security and distance them from peace.

The statement added that there is time for the Israeli government to halt the advancement of the "E1" plan, encouraging it to withdraw it immediately. They affirmed that the unilateral actions of the Israeli government undermine the shared desire for security and prosperity in the Middle East.

The statement also called on the Israeli government to stop settlement construction in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 and to lift restrictions on the financial resources of the Palestinian Authority.

The statement was signed by the foreign ministers of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Britain, in addition to the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.

The "E1" settlement project aims to connect Jerusalem with several Israeli settlements in the West Bank, such as Ma'ale Adumim, by confiscating Palestinian lands and establishing new settlements, thereby preventing any potential Palestinian expansion.

Palestinians demand the implementation of international resolutions that lead to the establishment of their state on the territories occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the enforcement of other resolutions that do not recognize the Israeli occupation in Jerusalem or its annexation.