 "British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. Reuters File")
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned Israel’s settlement plans that would sever the West Bank from East Jerusalem, calling them a clear violation of international law and urging their immediate halt.
“The UK strongly opposes the Israeli government’s E1 settlement plans, which would divide a future Palestinian state in two and mark a flagrant breach of international law. The plans must be stopped now,” Reuters quoted Lammy as saying in an emailed statement.
Israel appears poised to grant formal planning approval for the long-stalled E1 settlement project — a highly contentious plan to build over 3,400 housing units in the occupied West Bank.
According to The Guardian report, citing critics, the development would effectively bisect the territory, deepen the separation between East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and deal a fatal blow to hopes for a viable Palestinian state.
The Supreme Planning Council is expected to move forward with the plan next week, having reportedly dismissed objections from several Israeli NGOs.
The E1 project, which would link the Ma’ale Adumim settlement to Jerusalem, has faced decades of international opposition, including from the UK, EU, and United Nations.
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View AllIts advancement comes as far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also holds authority over planning in the occupied territories, openly championed the move, declaring that E1’s approval would “bury the idea of a Palestinian state.”
Smotrich — sanctioned by the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand in June for inciting violence — claimed the project had the backing of both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, though neither has publicly confirmed this.
According to The Guardian, while Smotrich stood at the site of the proposed construction on Thursday, the US State Department avoided commenting directly on the plan when asked, and Netanyahu has remained silent on the matter.
With inputs from agencies