Israel confirmed on Thursday it was planning to appropriate a further large tract of fertile land in the occupied West Bank, near Jericho, in a move likely to exacerbate tensions with Europe and which has already drawn international condemnation.U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon denounced the move and said:

Settlement activities are a violation of international law and run counter to the public pronouncements of the government of Israel supporting a two-state solution to the conflict.

Israel is now in danger of having its trade agreement with the EU suspended due to breach of the specific provisions on human rights. It now risks the consequent imposition of tariffs on all Israeli goods into Europe. The Netanyahu government has chosen to ignore EU warnings and must the bear the consequences which could be severe.