UK denounces Israel’s authorization of illegal settlements in West Bank

(MENAFN) The United Kingdom strongly condemned Israel’s decision to approve 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, describing them as illegal under international law, according to reports.

“The UK condemns the Israeli government’s approval of 19 new settlements in Palestine. These are illegal under international law,” Hamish Falconer, the British minister for the Middle East, wrote on a US-based social media platform.

The statement followed Israel’s Cabinet endorsement of the new settlements, which raises the total number established over recent years to 69, as reported by far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Falconer cautioned that the move “risks undermining the 20 Point Plan and prospects for the long-term peace and security that only a two-state solution can deliver,” referencing US President Donald Trump’s roadmap aimed at resolving the Gaza conflict.

Since October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have reportedly killed at least 1,102 Palestinians, injured nearly 11,000, and detained around 21,000, according to Palestinian sources.

In a landmark opinion issued last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal and called for the removal of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

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