ISTANBUL

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Wednesday reiterated his country’s opposition to Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, warning that it risks undermining the two-state solution.

"Italy is against any Israeli settlement in the West Bank because it would undermine the foundations of the 'two peoples, two states' project – the only solution to build a stable peace in the Middle East," Tajani said on X.

The UN considers all Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory illegal under international law and has repeatedly warned that their expansion erodes the viability of a two-state solution.

Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, at least 1,013 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and illegal settlers, according to the Health Ministry.

In an advisory 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.