London: UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has announced that Britain has summoned Israel's Charg© d'Affaires following the Israeli government's issuance of a tender for a significant illegal settlement project in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank. Miliband described the development as "unacceptable and destructive."
According to TRTworld.com, the E1 settlement project could effectively divide the West Bank from occupied East Jerusalem, jeopardizing the possibility of a two-state solution. Miliband emphasized Britain's consistent opposition to the E1 project and its commitment to a two-state solution as essential for ensuring enduring security and peace for both Palestinians and Israelis. He reiterated that all settlements undermine these prospects and violate international law.
The Israeli government's recent action entails breaking a previous commitment by issuing a tender for 1,234 illegal settlement units in the controversial E1 area without informing the petitioners who had challenged the project in court. Miliband reported addressing this issue directly with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, urging Israel to halt its plans, withdraw the tender, and cease illegal settlement expansion.
Furthermore, the Israeli Charg© d'Affaires was summoned to the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, where the UK's strong objection to this move by the Netanyahu government was conveyed, along with a demand for an immediate reversal.
Miliband highlighted the worsening conditions for Palestinians due to illegal settlement expansion and settler violence, warning of potentially irreversible divisions. He stressed Britain's refusal to tolerate the undermining of the two-state solution, stating that settler violence and expansion threaten peace, security, and the prospects for a viable Palestinian state.