Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed once again that there will be no Palestinian state, speaking during a high-profile signing ceremony for a major settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.
The event, held Thursday in the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim east of Jerusalem, marked the launch of a large building project in an area long considered critical to the feasibility of a future Palestinian state.
“This Place Is Ours”
Standing before Israeli officials and local leaders, Netanyahu declared: “We will keep our promise that there will be no Palestinian state. This place is ours.”
He added that his government plans to double the population of Ma’ale Adumim, citing security, heritage, and territorial claims.
Expansion in the E1 Area
The project covers the E1 corridor, a 12-square-kilometre stretch of land between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim.
Israel has repeatedly sought to develop this zone but has faced strong international opposition, which led to the plan being frozen for years.
Only last month, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich backed plans for around 3,400 new housing units in the same area, which many governments view as a flashpoint threatening peace efforts.
UN and International Reactions
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that settlement construction in E1 could “destroy the prospects for a two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Under international law, all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank — whether officially approved or not — are considered illegal.
Several Western countries, including Britain and France, have signalled they may recognise a Palestinian state during the upcoming UN General Assembly if Israel does not halt its military campaign in Gaza.
British officials said the move is being considered as leverage to press Tel Aviv to stop fighting.
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Possible Israeli Countermeasures
Israeli officials have hinted at counter-steps if recognition goes ahead, including the possible annexation of large areas of the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967.
Today, about three million Palestinians live in the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem) alongside some 500,000 Israeli settlers.
The Israeli government also enforces strict movement restrictions, requiring Palestinians to obtain special permits to pass checkpoints or enter East Jerusalem and Israel.
*Since the outbreak of war in Gaza, violence in the West Bank has escalated sharply, adding to concerns that the latest settlement drive could inflame tensions even further.
