Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemns Israeli plan for settlements in West Bank Area A

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates denounced a new Israeli settlement scheme that would place settlers at roughly 100 locations within Area A of the occupied West Bank. The plan, drafted by a coalition of settler groups such as the Settler Farms Association and the Havat Forum, is reported to have backing from Israeli government ministers close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Palestinian officials described the proposal as a systematic war crime and a clear breach of international law, warning that it would undermine the two‑state solution and destabilise the region.

Area A, established under the 1990s Oslo Accords, is under full Palestinian civil and security control and comprises about 18 percent of the West Bank, including its major cities. The Palestinian ministry called on the United Nations Security Council and the broader international community to implement immediate deterrent measures, enforce the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion, and reverse the settlement plan, asserting that Israeli occupation and settlement activity remain the root cause of ongoing instability.