Western powers condemn Israel over East Jerusalem settlement expansion

The UK, Germany, Australia and seven other Western nations issued a joint statement Friday condemning Israel's plan to build more than 1,000 homes in the E1 settlement near East Jerusalem, calling it illegal under international law and a threat to a two-state solution. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham led the effort, warning that the settlement would sever East Jerusalem from the West Bank and telling businesses not to bid on construction tenders.

The statement also condemned Israel's decision to close its investigation into an April 2024 drone strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, calling the timing — announced on World Humanitarian Day — shameful. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has openly described the E1 settlement as a way to bury the prospect of a Palestinian state, while the statement's list of signatories notably does not include the United States.

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