Australia summons Israeli envoy on Gaza aid worker death

Australia summoned Israel's envoy in response to the country's decision to allow construction of over 1,200 homes in the contested E1 settlement area in the West Bank. This move comes amid growing international condemnation of the Israeli government's plans for the area, which would further isolate east Jerusalem, now under Israeli control, from the West Bank.

The joint statement from France, Italy, Britain and Germany highlighted the project's potential to undermine the viability of a two-state solution and called on Israel to retract the plans immediately. The UN Secretary-General has described the E1 plan as posing an existential threat to a contiguous Palestinian state. The UN Secretary-General has described the E1 plan as posing an existential threat to a contiguous Palestinian state.

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot called the tenders "unacceptable," warning that the project would seriously undermine the two-state solution. The UK government has pledged to impose sanctions on individuals involved in the illegal settlement expansion.