The European Union on Monday criticized Israel's approval of plans to build over 2,000 new homes in West Bank settlements.
In a statement, the EU reiterated its longstanding position that all settlement activity on what is calls occupied land is illegal. "It erodes the viability of the two-state solution and the prospects for a lasting peace," the statement said.
The Israeli anti-settlement watchdog group Peace Now said authorities approved various planning stages for the construction of 2,342 new housing units in the West Bank last month.
Settlement projects must receive several layers of approvals from Israeli authorities, from initial proposals through actual construction. The process typically takes several years before building begins.
According to Peace Now, Israel has already pushed forward plans at various stages for over 8,300 settlement homes this year – an increase of 50% over all of 2018.
After taking office, US President Donald Trump broke away from a string of Republican and Democratic presidents who had voiced opposition to settlement construction.
The White House has said little in the face of Israel's repeated settlement approvals in recent years, and it has refrained from endorsing a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
That has left the EU as the most prominent international critic of the settlements.
Israel says the final status of the settlements should be worked out in negotiations.
