Paris denounces Israeli occupation plan for settlements in W. Bank

France on Tuesday strongly condemned a recently announced Israeli occupation plan to build over 3,300 new settlements in the West Bank. The French Foreign Ministry said in a press statement that Paris echoes its condemnation of the settlement policy as illegal under international law, calling on the Israeli occupation to dissuade from constructing any new settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. It emphasized that continued colonization would result in no viable and congruous Palestinian state, and constitute a stumbling block to permanent peace. An Israel occupation minister had announced plans to build more than 3,300 new homes in settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.