UK, Canada, Germany Condemn Israel’s West Bank Settlement Expansion

The United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and a group of other countries have issued a joint condemnation of Israel’s decision to approve the construction of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, warning that the move violates international law and risks further destabilizing the region.

In a joint statement released on Wednesday by the British government, the countries urged Israel to reverse the decision and halt all settlement expansion in the West Bank. The statement was backed by a broad coalition of states, including Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain.

The signatories emphasized that unilateral actions to expand settlements are part of a broader escalation of settlement policies in the occupied territory. 

They warned that such measures breach international law and further fuel instability at a time of heightened tension across the region.

The approval of additional settlements in the West Bank has long been a point of contention between Israel and much of the international community, which considers settlement activity illegal under international law and an obstacle to a negotiated two-state solution.