UK summons Israeli envoy over West Bank settlement project
Britain said on Wednesday it had summoned Israel's charge d'affaires and demanded a halt to a major West Bank settlement project after Israeli authorities opened bidding for more than 1,200 homes in the area. The E1 plan, green-lit by Israel last year, has drawn international condemnation, with the UN secretary general saying at the time that it posed an "existential threat" to a contiguous…
The UK has summoned Israel's charge d'affaires and demanded a halt to a major West Bank settlement project. The project, known as E1, has drawn international condemnation and involves the construction of over 1,200 homes. According to Middle East Eye, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described the move as an "unacceptable and destructive act" that threatens peace, security, and the prospects for a viable Palestinian state.
Miliband reportedly told Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar that the Israeli government must halt E1 plans immediately, retract the tender, and stop all settlement expansion. The UK Foreign Secretary also promised a "comprehensive set of measures" to respond to Israeli government policies, including sanctions targeting those involved in illegal settlement expansion.
The E1 settlement project is a widely condemned Israeli plan that would cut across land the Palestinians seek for a state, and has been under consideration for development for more than two decades. It was frozen due to US pressure during previous administrations, but Israel has now opened tenders for about 1,200 homes to be built in the occupied West Bank.
Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, Middle East Eye, The National Business, The National UAE, Ajel English — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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