London: The UK summoned Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely on Thursday in response to Israel's approval of the E1 colonial settlement construction plan in the occupied West Bank. This action was confirmed by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the FCDO issued a press statement saying that Tzipi Hotovely was summoned following the Israeli Higher Planning Committee's decision to move forward with the settlement construction plans in the E1 area, situated east of Jerusalem. The FCDO highlighted that the UK, alongside 21 international partners, has expressed strong condemnation of this decision.
The statement emphasized that the implementation of these settlement plans would constitute a significant violation of international law. It further warned that such actions would effectively divide a potential future Palestinian state into two separate entities, severely undermining prospects for a two-state solution.
The Israeli authorities' approval of the E1 colonial settlement project is seen as a strategic move. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich remarked that the project represents an active step toward eliminating the idea of a Palestinian state, noting that it is being done "not with slogans but with actions."
The E1 project involves the construction of 3,400 new colonial units on occupied Palestinian land. The majority of these units are planned near the existing Maale Adumim colony, aiming to connect settlements in the occupied West Bank with occupied East Jerusalem. Additionally, the plan includes 342 units in a new settlement in Asael, located in the southern part of the West Bank.
