'Illegal under international law': Singapore urges Israel to halt settlement expansion plans in West Bank

Singapore has urged the Israeli government to stop plans for expanding settlements in the West Bank, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Monday (Aug 24).

"Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law," the MFA spokesperson said, adding that the construction would "further fragment" the West Bank and "severely undermine" the possibility of a two-state solution.

West Bank refers to a territory just west of the Jordan River, that is divided between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

The landlocked territory consists of over 3.3 million Palestinians and more than 500,000 Israeli settlers.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said in September last year that the West Bank "belongs to [them]" during a ceremony where he signed an agreement to expand settlements in an area known as E1, Bloomberg reported.

On Aug 18, the Israeli government issued a tender for the construction of seven residential compounds housing 1,234 units in E1, The Times of Israel reported.

MFA spokesperson also stressed that Singapore is "deeply concerned" over the increasing acts of settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. 

"We call on the Israeli government to take firm action to prevent such violence and to hold those responsible accountable," the spokesperson said.

"A negotiated two-state solution, consistent with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, remains the only viable pathway to a comprehensive, just, and durable peace."

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khooyihang@asiaone.com