Britain, Canada and Australia Call on Israel to Cancel New Settlements

JAKARTA - The UK, Canada and Australia expressed their "deep concern" regarding the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and called on Israel to cancel the decision.

"The continued expansion of settlements is an obstacle to peace and has a negative impact on efforts towards negotiating a two-state solution. We call on the Government of Israel to cancel this decision," said a statement by the foreign ministers of the three countries reported by ANTARA, Saturday, July 1.

They said they "strongly condemned" all forms of terrorism and violence against civilians and urged the authorities to hold all perpetrators of violence accountable.

"The cycle of violence in Israel and the West Bank must be broken," the statement said. "Australia, Canada and the UK stand with the Israeli and Palestinian people in their right to live in peace and security, with dignity, without fear and their human rights are fully respected."

The three countries reiterated they will continue to support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the region, "including the establishment of a Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel," the statement said.

The statement also emphasized that this can only happen through direct negotiations between the two sides.

Spain has also previously rejected Israel's settlement expansion and condemned violence by settlers, saying Tel Aviv's decision went against international law and an obstacle to peace.

Israel on Tuesday approved plans to build more than 5,700 additional illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, increasing its 2023 total to a record of over 13.000.

The announcement of the latest expansion sparked a series of criticism from various countries and international organizations including the United Nations (UN).