DUBAI: Britain, France and Germany on Wednesday condemned Israeli plans to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank, with London warning that it could endanger the viability of a two-state solution.
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 Palestinian state.
The project would further separate east Jerusalem, occupied and annexed by Israel and predominantly inhabited by Palestinians, from the West Bank.
British foreign minister Ed Miliband called the move “an unacceptable and destructive act” and said it would “endanger the viability of a two-state solution.”
