EU condemns Israel’s continued settlement policy

Amman: The European Union (EU) on Saturday condemned in the strongest terms the announcement by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on his intentions to legalize five settlement sites in the occupied Palestinian territories. According to Euronews, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, Peter Stano, said that the move is another deliberate attempt to undermine peace efforts. He recalled the EU's position that it will not recognize changes to the 1967 borders unless both parties agree to it. The EU reiterated its firm commitment to a lasting and sustainable peace, in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions based on the two-state solution. The EU emphasized the need to stop measures that weaken the Palestinian Authority and called on Israel to release withheld tax revenues and ensure the continuity of banking services between Israeli and Palestinian banks. Source: Jordan News Agency