More than 400 former European ministers, ambassadors and officials on Wednesday urged European Union leaders in an open letter to “act now” against what they described as Israel’s “illegal annexation” in the occupied West Bank through the E1 (East 1) project, which plans to build thousands of homes.
The 448 signatories, including former European Commission Vice-President Josep Borrell and former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, said: “The European Union and its member states, in cooperation with partners, must take immediate steps to deter Israel from continuing its illegal annexation of Palestinian land in the West Bank.”
In August 2025, Israel approved Project E1, which will divide the occupied West Bank into two parts, threatening any geographical connection to a future Palestinian state.
READ: Israel approves 126 illegal settlement units in northern West Bank
Israel approved the E1 project in August 2025. The plan would effectively divide the occupied West Bank into two parts, threatening any geographical connection to a future Palestinian state. In December, Israel issued a tender to build 3,400 housing units across an area of 12 square kilometres east of Jerusalem.
The United Nations, the European Union and several leaders have called on Israel to abandon the project.
The signatories said “the Israeli government intends on 1st June to launch detailed tenders for the development of the E1 project area”.
They added that “the European Union and its member states must therefore act now, particularly at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 11th May.”
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