Key facts
- Britain's Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband condemned Israel's E1 settlement project tender.
- Miliband stated that the Israeli government must halt E1 plans and stop all settlement expansion.
- The UK plans to introduce sanctions targeting individuals involved in illegal settlement expansion.
- UK Minister of State for the Middle East Stephen Doughty echoed the condemnation.
Britain's Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, has strongly criticized Israel's decision to launch a construction tender for the E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank, labeling it an "unacceptable and destructive act."
Miliband conveyed to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar that the "Israeli Government must halt E1 plans immediately, retract the tender and stop all settlement expansion." He emphasized that settler violence and terrorism have had a devastating impact on Palestinian communities, and that settlement expansion threatens peace, security, and the viability of a Palestinian state.
The UK stated it would not "stand back and accept the destruction" of the two-state solution and will implement a comprehensive set of measures in the coming weeks, including sanctions against those involved in illegal settlement expansion. UK Minister of State for the Middle East Stephen Doughty also condemned the move, describing it as a "deliberate and destructive act designed to undermine a two-state solution."