The UK government has released a statement in response to Israel announcing that five outposts are to be ‘legalised’ in the West Bank.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said: “The UK strongly opposes the announcement that five outposts are to be legalised in the West Bank as well as further punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority.
“Israel must halt its illegal settlement expansion and hold to account those responsible for extremist settler violence.
“We are clear that actions by Israel to weaken the Palestinian Authority must stop. We call for longer-term measures to be put in place to ensure continued correspondent banking relations and assurance that Israel will release frozen funds without delay.
“The UK’s priority is to bring the Gaza conflict to a sustainable end as quickly as possible and ensure a lasting peace in the Middle East, through an irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution.”
Official condemnation, then – but all the while the UK continues to supply weapons to Israel.
More than 16,000 Palestinian children have been slaughtered during the current conflict. Tens of thousands of innocent families have seen their lives shattered.
I wonder if Sir Keir Starmer’s incoming Labour government will do anything different to address the plight of the Palestinian people, or will it be more of the same – business as usual for the arms dealers, words not deeds and more hand-wringing from our political leaders as the slaughter continues? – Ed.
