It has been reported that the Israeli Ministry of Housing has begun planning a large-scale expansion of the West Bank settlement of Efrat, south of Bethlehem, in an area designated as ‘E2'. The plan would almost double the geographic size of the settlement, and potentially add thousands of housing units. This move would involve appropriation of private Palestinian land, block off any expansion of nearby Palestinian villages, and seal off Bethlehem to the south.

The expansion would bisect the southern West Bank, potentially connecting the Israeli settlements of Efrat, to Tekoa, and Nokdim. This would make a territorially contiguous and viable Palestinian state impossible. As such, settlement expansion into E2 would not only be a violation of international human rights and humanitarian law, but would also represent a grave threat to the two-state solution. This would be a serious threat to the long-term security of both Palestine and Israel.

In view of the EU's commitment to the preservation of the two-state solution, peace, and compliance with international law, and European funds invested in it:

What efforts have Member States deployed and will deploy to prevent settlement construction in E2 - including in the framework of the EU-Israel structured dialogue?
Why has this not yet been raised in FAC Conclusions on the MEPP?