Israel slams Canada for statement opposing West Bank settlement expansion

Canada says that illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territory undermine ‘peace, security and stability’.The Canadian government has issued a statement reaffirming its opposition to Israeli expansion in the occupied West Bank, where settlers have carried out widespread and violent attacks on Palestinian communities.Wednesday’s statement prompted a tit-for-tat on social media with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which sought to dismiss Canada’s concerns as misguided.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3‘No freedom at all’: Israeli closures leave West Bank patients trappedlist 2 of 3Israel kills Palestinian, destroys mosque in Gazalist 3 of 3New investigation shows how an Israeli settler escaped justiceend of listIn a post, Canada" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="174442" data-entity-type="organization">Global Affairs Canada, the country’s foreign ministry, underscored that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory are illegal under international law.The expansion of such settlements has coincided with an uptick in violence in the West Bank. The United Nations reports that 76 Palestinians have died this year in settler attacks.“Canada condemns the ongoing violence in the West Bank. The expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank must stop. These settlements are illegal under international law and undermine prospects for peace, security and stability,” Canada’s statement reads.“We call for the de-escalation and protection of civilians. International humanitarian law must be respected, and all civilians must be able to live in safety and security.”Hours earlier, the UN-high-commissioner-for-human-rights" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="174444" data-entity-type="organization">Office for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) likewise highlighted the increasing violence and condemned plans for expanding Israeli settlements.“We are alarmed by the Israeli Government’s announcement to further increase the number of settlements and outposts and open calls by Israeli leaders for revenge and collective punishment against Palestinian communities,” an OHCHR spokesperson said in a statement.The UN said it had recorded roughly 190 settler attacks in each of the first four months of 2026. At that rate, it estimated that the number of settler attacks could reach about 2,000 by the year’s end, overtaking last year’s total of 1,835.