Canada Condemns Israeli Settlement Expansion in West Bank
Ottawa joins eight allies in calling for halt to development as tensions escalate in occupied territory.
Canada and eight allied nations—Australia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom—have issued a joint statement condemning Israeli settlement expansion and settler violence in the occupied West Bank.
The statement specifically targeted proposed development in the E1 area east of Jerusalem, warning that the project would "divide the West Bank in two" and constitute "a serious breach of international law." The International Court of Justice has previously ruled that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law.
The warning follows recent escalations: Israeli bulldozers demolished dozens of Palestinian-owned shops southeast of Jerusalem to clear land for infrastructure linked to nearby settlements. Palestinian officials argue the road is designed to reroute Palestinian traffic away from a new Israeli settlement highway. Meanwhile, West Bank violence has intensified, with Palestinian health officials reporting a 32-year-old man killed by Israeli soldiers this week while attempting to cross into Israel for work—the second such killing in less than a week.
For Toronto residents, the statement reflects Canada's diplomatic stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and signals the government's alignment with allied nations on settlement policy. The joint call also urges businesses to avoid participating in settlement projects due to legal and reputational risks—a message that may affect Canadian companies with ties to the region.