UN chief: Israeli settlement plan ‘existential threat’ to peace

The United Nations warned Wednesday that Israel’s planned settlement in the E1 area of the West Bank could destroy any chance of a two-state solution. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “alarmed” by reports of illegal Israeli outposts in the region. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric explained that building in E1 would cut the West Bank in half, severing the connection between its northern and southern parts. He added that such a move would have “severe consequences” for the territory’s integrity, making a future Palestinian state geographically impossible. The UN called the development an “existential threat” to the long-standing peace framework, which envisions an independent Palestine alongside Israel. No immediate response from Israeli authorities was reported.