We are following the latest announcements by the Israeli Government on the expansion of settlements in the West Bank with great concern. This week alone, the Israeli Government has announced plans for the construction of 3,000 new housing units in the West Bank. Plans for the construction of 2,500 new housing units were already made public last week. And for the first time in many years, plans on the foundation of a completely new settlement have been announced.

The new scale of Israeli settlement policy feeds doubts that the Israeli Government still stands to its frequently reiterated commitment to a two‑state solution. We hope and expect that the commitment to the two‑state solution will be renewed and underpinned by practical steps, as called for by the Middle East Quartet, among others.