I was deeply concerned to hear the latest announcement by the Israeli authorities to advance settlement plans once more in the West Bank including East Jerusalem. The settlements are illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make the two-State solution impossible. On 16 December, the 28 Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the European Union unanimously warned against actions that undermine the current negotiations and deplored Israel‘s continuous expansion of settlements. I call on Israel to stop all settlement activities.