Macron slams Israel’s settlement plans in West Bank, calling it ‘political project’ that kills possibility of two states

TEL AVIV: French President Emmanuel Macron has sharply criticised Israel’s settlement expansion plans in the occupied West Bank, calling it a “political project” aimed at undermining the possibility of a two-state solution and denying Palestinians their right to peace.

In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 News, Macron drew a clear distinction between the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, saying the latter has no direct connection to Hamas and that restarting settlement activities there demonstrates political motives beyond security concerns.

“West Bank has nothing to do with Hamas, and when people start saying our answer either to the recognition or to the situation will be to restright to peaceart settlements in the West Bank, this is the best evidence of the fact that this is a political project whose objective is not to dismantle Hamas but to kill the possibility of the two states and to deny the right of Palestinian people to live in peace in the region,” he said.

Macron was referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial settlement expansion plans in the occupied West Bank, which were officially approved by the Israeli PM earlier this month.

According to Al Jazeera, Netanyahu signed off on the plan, which aims to create a settlement corridor that would split the West Bank in two.

He further declared that “there will be no Palestinian state” while making the announcement.

The targeted area, known as E1 (East 1), covers about 12 square kilometres (4.6 square miles) and lies to the east of Jerusalem. The expansion includes the construction of 3,400 new housing units for Israeli settlers, as reported by Al Jazeera.

If carried out, the project would sever key parts of the West Bank from occupied East Jerusalem, while simultaneously connecting a network of Israeli settlements throughout the region.

East Jerusalem holds deep importance for Palestinians, who see it as the future capital of a sovereign state. Under international law, all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, seized by Israel in the 1967 war, are deemed illegal, regardless of any authorisation by Israeli authorities.

During the interview with Channel 12 News, the French President also condemned Israel’s military operations in Gaza, calling them “counterproductive” and a “failure”, particularly due to the high civilian death toll.

He stated that such actions by Tel Aviv take away the “credibility” of the operation, not just in the region but everywhere. “Having this type of operation in Gaza is totally counterproductive because this is, I have to say, a failure. The second point is that you are making so many civilian casualties and victims that you are completely destroying the image and the credibility of Israel — not just in the region but in public opinion everywhere,” he said.

Macron emphasised that actions leading to such widespread suffering and destruction violate international norms and harm Israel’s standing globally.

“This is a huge mistake, this is absolutely unacceptable, this is totally noncompliant with international rules, and I’m not for a double standard,” he added.

Since October 2023, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 65,208 people and injuries to 166,271 others, based on health ministry figures, as reported by Al Jazeera. (ANI)