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Pakistan, August 20 — Britain called in Israel’s charge d’affaires on Wednesday concerning a significant settlement initiative in the occupied West Bank. London also urged an immediate stop to the project. This action came after Israel announced the opening of bids for over 1,200 residential units. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described the project as harmful and unacceptable. He cautioned that it could severely hinder progress toward a two-state solution.

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The initiative is referred to as the E1 plan and spans approximately 12 square kilometers to the east of Jerusalem. Israel endorsed the broader plan last year with plans to construct roughly 3,400 homes in the region. The site is located between Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim. Additionally, this project may isolate occupied East Jerusalem from other areas of the West Bank. The United Nations has previously cautioned that such development jeopardizes the feasibility of a continuous Palestinian state.

Miliband mentioned that he addressed the matter directly with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. In the meantime, Israel’s representative was called to the British Foreign Office. Miliband encouraged Israel to revoke the recent tender and halt the expansion of settlements. He also noted that Britain plans to introduce further actions in the coming weeks. These steps might involve sanctions targeting individuals engaged in settlement growth. Britain stated it will not tolerate actions that jeopardize the two-state solution.

As reported by the Israeli non-governmental organization Peace Now, the Israeli housing ministry released the most recent tender on August 18. This tender involves over 1,200 homes in the proposed E1 area. Bids need to be submitted by October 19, just before Israel’s elections on October 27. Peace Now noted that this tender accounts for roughly one-third of the intended construction. The organization also criticized the government for speeding up settlement projects ahead of the election.

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Britain and France had previously aligned with 19 other nations in criticizing the E1 initiative. These countries characterized the approval of the settlement as a breach of international law. They also called on Israel to revoke the decision. The West Bank is home to approximately three million Palestinians, not including East Jerusalem. Additionally, around 500,000 Israeli settlers reside within the area. Consequently, this recent conflict may intensify diplomatic pressure on Israel.