Netanyahu Vows 'There Will Be No Palestinian State' As Israel Pushes West Bank Settlement Expansion

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday (September 11) reaffirmed Israel's policy against the establishment of a Palestinian state, speaking at a ceremony marking a major settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. The event took place in Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem.

“We are going to fulfil our promise that there will be no Palestinian state, this place belongs to us,” Netanyahu said.

“We will safeguard our heritage, our land and our security... We are going to double the city's population.”

E1 settlement expansion project

In August 2025, Israel greenlit a large settlement project in the occupied West Bank, a move widely criticized for jeopardizing the prospects of a future Palestinian state. The plan involves constructing approximately 3,400 homes on a highly sensitive area located between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement.

The controversial E1 project, located between Jerusalem and Maale Adumim, involves construction on roughly 12 square kilometers of land, long sought for Palestinian statehood. The initiative, stalled for years due to international opposition, received final approval from Israel's Defence Ministry planning commission last month.

The project, including new roads and infrastructure upgrades, is estimated at nearly $1 billion, and could add thousands of housing units, effectively splitting the West Bank.

International response and two-state concerns

The settlement expansion drew swift criticism from the international community. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that building on E1 would“cleave the West Bank in two” and threaten the viability of a contiguous Palestinian state.

Several Western governments, including Britain and France, have indicated they may formally recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations later this month if Israel fails to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza.

All of Israel's settlements in the West Bank... are considered illegal under international law.

Netanyahu defends Israeli strike in Qatar

Netanyahu also addressed recent military operations, including an Israeli strike in Doha targeting Hamas leaders . He drew parallels between Hamas' October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and the September 11, 2001 attacks in the US.

“We remember September 11... We also have a September 11. On that day, Islamist terrorists committed the worst savagery against the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Netanyahu said.

“Yesterday, we acted along those lines. We went after the terrorist masterminds who committed the October 7 massacre.”

Netanyahu warned Qatar and other nations sheltering terrorists:“You either expel them or you bring them to justice. Because if you don't, we will.”

The strike, which killed a Qatari security agent and five others but did not eliminate the targeted Hamas figures, drew criticism from Qatar and some Western allies, with US President Donald Trump stating he was“very unhappy about every aspect” of the operation .

Escalating tensions amid Gaza war

The E1 settlement expansion and military strikes come amid ongoing conflict in Gaza. Palestinian militant group Hamas' October 7 attacks resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and over 250 hostages taken, with about 20 still believed to be alive.

Also Read | Mint Explainer | Israel's Qatar strike - a step too far?

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