Germany on Friday called on Israel to end its illegal settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.

“The Federal Government is deeply concerned about the recent Israeli government announcement to build 5,000 new housing units in Israeli settlements in occupied East Jerusalem,” said a German Foreign Ministry statement. “These new housing units would separate occupied East Jerusalem from the West Bank and therefore undermine the possibility of establishing a contiguous and viable Palestinian state as part of a negotiated two-state solution.”

“The German government once again calls on the Israeli government to abandon plans to build new housing units in Har Homa (Jabal Abu Ghneim) and Givat Hamatos in occupied East Jerusalem and to stop the construction of settlements in the occupied territories that violate international law,” it added, making reference to United Nations Security Council resolution 2334, which confirmed the illegality of the Israeli settlements.

The ministry said that Germany “would only recognize changes on the June 4, 1967 borders that are reached through negotiations, including in Jerusalem.”