France, Aug. 16 -- France has condemned Israel's plan to build 3,400 new homes in the occupied West Bank, calling the project a "serious violation of international law" that risks destroying any chance of a contiguous Palestinian state.

The French foreign ministry insisted the so-called E1 settlement, east of Jerusalem, threatens to cut the West Bank in two, undermining prospects for Palestinian statehood.

The French foreign ministry spokesperson said France "condemns with the utmost firmness" the project and reiterated calls for Israel to halt all settlement activity, which "systematically erode the viability of a Palestinian state."

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right figure, openly boasted that the construction would make...