The UK condemned Israel’s announcement to move forward with the construction of 1,077 housing units in the illegal Israeli settlement of Givat Hamatos, in occupied southern Jerusalem.
This follows the announcement on 20 February to advance 2,200 units in the existing illegal settlement of Har Homa.
“Settlement construction in these highly sensitive areas undermines the viability of a future Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem,” said James Cleverly, Minister for the Middle East and North Africa in a statement issued on Monday.
The UK’s position on Israeli settlements is clear: they are illegal under international law and damaging to renewed efforts to launch peace negotiations. We urge Israel to reverse this decision immediately, he concluded.