The French Foreign Ministry has condemned Israel's approval of the E1 settlement project in the West Bank, describing it as a serious violation of international law. France urged Israel to abandon the plan, warning that it could fragment the West Bank and severely undermine the viability of the two-state solution. The project involves the construction of approximately 3,400 housing units in the contentious E1 area near Jerusalem. French officials emphasized that the settlement expansion threatens the prospects for an independent Palestinian state. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Prime Minister announced the selection of a technocratic committee to manage the Gaza Strip post-conflict, facilitating the eventual transfer of authority to the Palestinian government. He also criticized Israel's settlement expansion as an attempt to prevent the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state and rejected any Israeli excuses for sidelining the Palestinian Authority's responsibilities in Gaza.