Australia, Canada and the UK have rebuked Israel over its decision to create thousands of new settlement units in the West Bank. They also decried a surge of violence between Israelis and Palestinians.
In a highly unusual joint statement on Saturday, the foreign ministers of the three countries said they were “gravely concerned” over Israel moving ahead with over 5,700 new homes in the occupied territories. The settlements are widely considered to be illegal.
“The continued expansion of settlements is an obstacle to peace and negatively impacts efforts to achieve a negotiated two-state solution,” the statement read, calling for Israel to reverse the decision.
The ministers said they were also “deeply troubled” by ongoing violence in the region. In particular, they referred to a deadly gun attack by two Palestinians on Israelis near the settlement of Eli in the West Bank, which claimed the lives of four people, including a teenage boy.