News
S'pore says Israeli settlements in West Bank are illegal, urges halt to expansion plans
"Singapore urges the Israeli government to halt these settlement expansion plans."
August 25, 2026, 11:48 AM
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Singapore has said Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law.
It has called on Israel to stop its expansion plans there, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said in a statement on Aug. 24.
What prompted it
The Israeli government published a tender on Aug. 18 for the construction of over 1,200 housing units. It is part of a project to expand residential settlements in the E1 area, according to The Straits Times.
E1, short for East 1, is the name Israel uses for a stretch of the occupied West Bank sitting just east of occupied East Jerusalem.
About 3,700 Palestinians live there, most of them Bedouin spread across 18 villages, ST reported, citing the Institute for Middle East Understanding.
What MFA said
The spokesperson said the proposed construction "would further fragment the West Bank and severely undermine the prospects for a viable two-State solution."
It said: "Singapore urges the Israeli government to halt these settlement expansion plans."
The ministry added that Singapore was deeply concerned by the rise in settler violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.
"We call on the Israeli government to take firm action to prevent such violence and to hold those responsible accountable,” it added.
MFA also restated Singapore's long-held view that the only workable route to lasting peace is a two-state solution reached through negotiation, in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
