Top EU official 'appalled' by Israeli plan to commit funds for building more illegal settlements

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - The EU foreign policy chief on Monday said that he is “appalled” by reports that the Israeli government will allocate funds for the construction of new illegal settlements in the midst of an ongoing conflict.

"I'm appalled to learn that in the middle of a war, the Israeli government is poised to commit new funds to build more illegal settlements," Borrell said on X.

“This is not self-defence and will not make Israel safer. The settlements are grave IHL (international humanitarian law) breach, and they are Israel’s greatest security liability,” he added.

Borrell is in Spain for the eighth ministerial forum of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), which commenced on Monday in Barcelona, Spain.

The forum aims to discuss the evolving situation in the Gaza Strip and its potential repercussions across the region.

Israel launched a massive military campaign in the Gaza Strip following an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas.

It has since killed at least 14,854 Palestinians, including 6,150 children and more than 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave. The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.