Britain says latest Israeli settlement plans in West Bank could damage peace efforts

Israel’s government accused of ‘undermining two-state solution’ after approving building of nearly 800 homes

A monitoring group said 90 per cent of the homes lay deep inside the West Bank, which the Palestinians seek as the heartland of a future independent state. AP

Britain condemned Israel's move on Sunday to build hundreds of new homes on Palestinian land and said it could damage future peace efforts.

More than 90 per cent of the nearly 800 homes will lie inside the Palestinian territory of the West Bank, with more than 200 in unauthorised areas that the Israeli government has decided to legalise in an act condemned by Palestine.

“The UK is seriously concerned by the government of Israel’s decision to approve the construction of 780 new settlement units across the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including areas deep within the West Bank which could threaten future peace negotiations,” a representative for the Foreign Office said.

“Settlements are illegal under international law and risk undermining the physical viability of the two-state solution. We call for the construction of these in East Jerusalem and elsewhere in the West Bank to cease immediately.”

The European Union said the Israeli decision was “contrary to international law and further undermines the prospects of a viable two-state solution”.

A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the decision on Sunday marked a “pre-emptive attempt by the Israeli government to undermine any effort that the US president-elect Joe Biden’s administration might make to relaunch the stalled peace process.”

According to monitoring group Peace Now, Israel approved or pushed forward the construction of 12,000 settlement homes in 2020 – the most since the recording of statistics began in 2012.

Israel has stepped up its building of settlements in the West Bank during the four-year administration of departing US President Donald Trump, who has built strong ties with the Israeli government.