Japan slams new illegal Israeli settlements in occupied West Bank

ISTANBUL

Japan on Wednesday slammed Israel over new settlements in the occupied West Bank, stressing that settlement activities “are in violation of international law and undermine” the viability of a two-state solution.

“The government of Japan is deeply concerned about the approval by Israel to construct 11 new settlements and legalize eight outposts in the West Bank,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Israel’s security Cabinet approved the establishment of 19 new Jewish settlements over the weekend, bringing the total number of approved illegal settlements in recent years to 69, according to Israeli figures.

Tokyo “reiterates its deep regret” over the continuing settlement activities by Tel Aviv despite repeated calls by the international community, including Japan, the statement said.

Noting that Japan has sanctioned four settlers involved in violence, Tokyo “once again strongly urges” Israel to “redress the decision and fully freeze its settlement activities."

Expressing “serious” concern about the rise in settler violence committed against Palestinians, Tokyo condemned such violence and called on Israel to “take appropriate measures promptly to prevent settler violence.”

Japan “reiterates the urgency to refrain from actions that escalate tensions, including those in the West Bank, amidst ongoing international efforts to stabilize the situation surrounding the Gaza Strip,” the statement said.

According to Palestinian figures, Israeli forces and illegal settlers have killed at least 1,102 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, injured nearly 11,000 and detained around 21,000 since October 2023.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.