Israel condemned Canada’s condemnation of West Bank settlement expansion, as the UN warned of illegal outpost plans and the Israeli government approved the largest land seizure in decades, escalating tensions in the region.
Canada Condemns Settlement Expansion, Israel Retorts
Canada’s Global Affairs department emphasized that Israeli settlements violate international law, calling for an end to their expansion. The expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank must stop. These settlements are illegal under international law and undermine prospects for peace, security and stability,
the statement read. Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded by accusing Canada of ignoring Palestinian attacks, stating, A wave of Palestinian terrorism is sweeping Judea and Samaria. Israelis are being murdered and wounded by Palestinian terrorists.
The exchange followed a surge in violence, including a deadly incident where a Palestinian man shot and killed an Israeli settler in the village of Tal. Israeli authorities framed the attack as terrorism, using it to justify crackdowns on Palestinian communities. Canada’s condemnation came as the UN warned that settler violence and annexation plans risked a major obstacle to achieving the two-state solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.
UN Warns of Illegal Outpost Plans, Calls for De-Escalation
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned Israel’s plans to accelerate settlement outpost authorizations in the West Bank, calling the move a flagrant violation
of international law. Guterres reiterated that all settlements, including outposts, lack legal validity and hinder peace efforts.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported escalating violence, with at least eight Palestinians killed and many injured since last Thursday. OCHA also highlighted restrictions on Palestinian movement, preventing access to medical care and essential services. The direction we want to be heading is to find a negotiated two-state solution,
said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, criticizing Israel’s land seizures as a step in the wrong direction.
Israel’s Largest Land Grab in Decades Sparks International Outcry
Israel approved the largest seizure of West Bank land in over three decades, according to settlement tracking group Peace Now. The government declared 12.7 square kilometers (nearly 5 square miles) of land in the Jordan Valley as state property, linking Israeli settlements along a key corridor bordering Jordan. This move, described as part of a strategy to establish a buffer zone between Jordan and Palestinian lands by Peace Now, threatens to block a contiguous Palestinian state.
The land grab, approved late last month, connects existing settlements to create a solid block near the Jordan border. The UN and human rights groups have repeatedly called such expansions illegal, with the International Court of Justice ruling in 2024 that Israeli settlements breach the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Settler Violence Surges, International Community Demands Accountability
Settler violence in the West Bank has surged since October 7, with over 1,000 attacks reported by the UN. In July 2026, the Office for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) condemned plans to expand settlements, stating, We are alarmed by the Israeli Government’s announcement to further increase the number of settlements and outposts and open calls by Israeli leaders for revenge and collective punishment against Palestinian communities.
Human Rights Watch criticized the violence at Tal, while the Palestinian National Council’s Speaker Rouhi Fattouh called Israel’s settlement approvals a double violation of international law.
The Palestinian Authority and rights groups argue that such expansions entrench a policy of creeping annexation,
undermining any hope of a two-state solution.
Israel’s Right Wing Pushes for Annexation, International Sanctions Loom
Israel’s right-wing government, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has accelerated settlement expansion, framing it as a strategic move to prevent a Palestinian state. Smotrich, a settler himself, has pushed for new authorities over settlement development, stating his aim is to solidify Israel’s hold on the territory and prevent the creation of a Palestinian state.
This approach has drawn condemnation from the international community, including recent sanctions by six governments targeting individuals enabling settler violence.
The far-right Nahala movement celebrated the latest approvals, calling it an impressive achievement
that would soon lead to Israeli settlements in Gaza. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission warned that the decisions expose the true intentions of the occupation government to entrench a system of annexation, apartheid, and full Judaization of Palestinian land.
