Brussels/PNN - 

The European Union has condemned the announcement by Israeli Finance Minister Tzachi Hanegbi regarding the seizure of 8,000 dunams of land in the Jordan Valley.

In a statement issued today, Sunday, the European Union described settlements as a serious violation of international humanitarian law, noting that EU leaders condemned, during their participation in European Council meetings, the Israeli government's decisions to continue the expansion of illegal settlements throughout the occupied West Bank, urging Israel to reverse these decisions.

The statement read: "In line with its long-standing common position and United Nations Security Council resolutions, the European Union will not recognize changes to the 1967 borders unless agreed upon by both parties."

It emphasized that settlement expansion fuels tension and undermines the prospects for a two-state solution, which remains the only sustainable guarantee for long-term security for both parties.