The European Union strongly condemned Israeli settlers’ intent to establish new outposts in the occupied West Bank, saying the plans are signs of increased settler violence against Palestinians.

If the plans come true, 10 new outposts will be established in different areas of the occupied West Bank, adding to the 150 illegal outposts that exist today in the occupied Palestinian territories.

“Outposts often serve to establish or further expand Israeli settlements and are a potential direct source of increased settler violence against Palestinians,” said the EU in a tweet.

“Settlements and outposts are illegal under international law and constitute a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution,” it added.

At present, based on the result of numerous UN resolutions that cite Article 49 of the Geneva Convention, the consensus view of the international community is that Israeli settlements are illegal and constitute a violation of international law.

Since the occupation of the West Bank in 1967, numerous United Nations resolutions, including 446, 452, 465, 471 and 476 affirm unambiguously that Israel's occupation is illegal, and, since Resolution 446 adopted on 22 March 1979, have confirmed that its settlements there have no legal validity and pose a serious obstacle to peace.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 of 2016 states that Israel's settlement activity constitutes a "flagrant violation" of international law and has "no legal validity". It demands that Israel stop such activity and fulfill its obligations as an occupying power under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

In 2004, an advisory opinion by the primary judicial organ of the UN, the International Court of Justice, also found the settlements to be illegal under international law. The court's finding was based on the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention and UN Security Council resolutions that condemned the establishment of settlements and attempts by Israel to alter the demographics of the territories under its control.

The United Nations General Assembly, which regards itself as having a chief role in the process of the codification of international law, has passed several resolutions with an overwhelming majority that denounce settlements as being illegal. The United Nations Human Rights Council has also called the Israeli settlements and related activities a violation of international law.