The European Union has expressed its ‘’strong opposition’’ to the ‘’Regularisation Bill’’ currently discussed in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, that could legalize thousands of settler homes an outposts built in the West Bank.

The Knesset voted voted Wednesday 58 to 51 in favor of a first reading of the bill, which was praised by some of its supporters, and castigated by its opponents, as a first step toward imposing Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank.

Originally designed to avert the demolition ordered by Israel’s Supreme Court of the illegal outpost of Amona, the Regulation Bill was initiated by lawmakers from the national-religious Jewish Home and the governing Likud parties. The bill was cleared for a Knesset vote earlier this week after a clause that would have violated a direct High Court ruling mandating Amona’s demolition was struck from it. Amona is slated for demolition by December 25.

The bill stipulates that settlement construction in the West Bank that was carried out in good faith, namely without the knowledge that the land was privately owned, would be recognized by the government provided the settlers had some kind of state assistance — which in some cases could be as simple as having existing infrastructure, since most infrastructural services fall under the purview of state ministries.

Knesset Member for the Jewish Home Shuli Moalem-Refaeli, who presented the bill, said that the law was an important step in taking control of parts of Israel that have been “lawless” for over 50 years. “The Land of Israel belongs to the People of Israel. We returned after 2,000 years and established a state,” she said.

She said that a nation “can’t be an occupier in its own land,” and that Israel was free to make its own laws over the territory.

A statement issued by a spokesperson of the European Union External Action Service (EEAS) said: “The Israeli Knesset is in the process of adopting the so-called ‘Regularization Bill,’ which could lead to legalization of numerous illegal settlements and outposts, built on private Palestinian land in violation of Israeli and international law, by confiscating property rights of Palestinians for settler use.’’

“If it passes, this would be the first law adopted by the Knesset on the status of land in the West Bank, an occupied territory not under its jurisdiction. Senior members of the Israeli government have called this a step toward annexation of the West Bank,” the statement added.

The EU statement concludes: “Recalling that settlements are illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make the two-state solution impossible, the European Union reiterates its strong opposition, in line with the position of the Middle East Quartet, to Israel’s settlement policy and all actions taken in this context.”

Israel’s Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit has warned that the bill breaches both local and international law, and indicated that the High Court is likely to strike it down. Some officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — who voted for the bill along with all but one member of his coalition — have warned that the law could see Israeli officials prosecuted in the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Under the bill, the government will be able to appropriate land for its own use if the owners are not known. If the owners are known, they will be eligible for either yearly damages amounting to 125 percent of the value of leasing the land, a larger financial package valued at 20 years’ worth of leasing the plots, or alternate plots.

The US State Department has called the legislation “profoundly damaging to the prospects for a two-state solution.”

“We’ve also been troubled by comments that we’ve heard by some political figures in Israel that this would be the first step in annexing parts of the West Bank,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. “We hope that it does not become law. We certainly hope that changes or modifications We hope that it does not become law. We certainly hope that changes or modifications can be made to it.”