Israeli settlement project could make Palestinian state 'impossible': Rights group

A future Palestinian state could become "impossible" as early as next month if Israel's E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank moves forward, Belgian rights group 11.11.11 warned, urging international sanctions against those involved.

The group said Wednesday that it had joined international human rights group in submitting a file to the EU, its member states, Canada, the UK, and Australia urging sanctions on Israeli officials involved in the planned illegal settlement.

It warned that Oct. 19, the deadline for the closure of the tender process for construction projects in E1, a roughly 12-square-kilometer (4.63-square-mile) area between occupied East Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, could make a future Palestinian state impossible.

More than 3,000 Israeli homes are planned in the area. The group warned that the development would divide the West Bank between north and south and cut East Jerusalem off from the rest of Palestinian territory.

It said 18 Palestinian communities, including a total of around 3,700 people, could face forced displacement.

The human rights groups are seeking travel bans, asset freezes, and financial restrictions against officials involved in the project.

"Failing to intervene now means watching the Palestinian presence in the West Bank being systematically wiped out," said Willem Staes, Middle East expert at 11.11.11.