Italy and 11 other European countries on Thursday called on Israel's government to reverse its decision this week to advance plans for the construction of over 3,100 settlement units in the West Bank.
"We reiterate our strong opposition to its policy of settlement expansion across the Occupied Palestinian Territories, read the statement from Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain and Sweden.
An Israeli planning committee's final approval for 1,800 housing units and preliminary approval for 1,344 others "violates international law and undermines efforts for the two-state solution," read the statement
"We call on both parties to build on steps taken in recent months to improve cooperation and reduce tensions," the statement went on.
"We reiterate our call to implement United Nations Resolution 2334 with all its provisions, with the aim of rebuilding trust and creating the conditions necessary for promoting peace," the statement ended.
