UN Rights Office: Israeli Settlement Plan Violates International Law

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A flag representing Israel waves in the foreground, with the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim visible in the background, located in the Israeli-controlled West Bank on August 14, 2025. — Reuters

– Israeli minister promises the project will “eliminate” the concept of a Palestinian state.
– United Nations warns that the plan will divide the West Bank into separate, isolated areas.
– Approximately 700,000 Israeli settlers reside among 2.7 million Palestinians in the region.

The UN Human Rights Office announced on Friday that Israel’s proposal to construct thousands of new homes between an established settlement in the West Bank and near East Jerusalem is illegal under international law. They also stated that the plan could force Palestinians to face eviction, which they characterized as a war crime.

On Thursday, Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich committed to pushing forward a long-delayed settlement initiative, claiming it would effectively “bury” the idea of establishing a Palestinian state.

The UN human rights spokesperson indicated that this plan would fragment the West Bank into disconnected enclaves and emphasized that it is “a war crime for an occupying power to transfer its own civilians into the territory it occupies.” Currently, about 700,000 Israeli settlers live amid 2.7 million Palestinians across the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1980—a move most countries do not recognize—though it has not officially extended sovereignty over the West Bank.

Most countries believe that expanding settlements undermines the prospects of a two-state solution by dividing the territory Palestinians envision for an independent state. That framework proposes a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, all existing alongside Israel—the territories captured during the 1967 Middle East conflict.

Israel claims historical and biblical ties to the land, asserting that settlements enhance its strategic depth and security. The Israeli government also states that the West Bank is “disputed territory,” not “occupied.”