Malta joins international condemnation of Israeli West Bank settlement plan
Wire desk byline Sourced from Xinhua, Dawn, Arab News, Anadolu and Minute Mirror. Translated and abridged by the GSRRA Desk.
Malta has joined an expanding group of nations condemning Israel’s plans for a major settlement project in the occupied West Bank. Malta and Denmark were added as signatories to a joint international statement on Tuesday, according to an update from the British government.
The joint statement denounces the Israeli government’s decision to publish construction tenders for the E1 settlement project as unacceptable, warning that the development would undermine prospects for a two-state solution by cutting through the West Bank and damaging Palestinian territorial continuity.
Originally issued last Thursday by the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, and Norway, the list of signatories has since grown to include the European Commission, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Belgium, Spain, Austria, Greece, Cyprus, Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, Denmark, and Malta.
The declaration states that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law and calls on Israel to immediately withdraw the plans and halt settlement expansion. It also warns companies against bidding for the E1 construction tenders, highlighting potential legal and reputational consequences for involvement in breaches of international law.
Foreign Minister Chris Fearne stated that Malta’s decision follows ongoing efforts to push for a strong EU-wide condemnation of Israeli settlement expansion. Speaking over the weekend, Fearne noted that Malta was among ten EU countries seeking a joint condemnation through the bloc’s foreign policy structures.
The E1 project involves an area situated east of Jerusalem. Israel’s housing ministry published a tender on August 18 for more than 1,200 housing units, with bids due by October 19, as part of a broader plan envisioning approximately 3,400 homes between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement.
The UN secretary-general has described the E1 plan as an existential threat to a contiguous Palestinian state. The joint statement also highlights concerns regarding increased settler violence against Palestinian civilians and restrictions on the Palestinian economy.
Signatories reaffirmed their support for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace based on a two-state solution. Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected British criticism last week, stating that Israel would defend its rights while accusing the UK of ignoring Palestinian extremism.
Reference Link:- https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2026-08-26/local-news/Malta-joins-international-condemnation-of-Israeli-West-Bank-settlement-plan-6736292390
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
