LONDON, December 24, 2025 (WAFA) – The UK, Canada, and several other countries on Wednesday condemned the decision by Israeli occupation authorities to approve a swathe of new colonies in the occupied West Bank.

“We, the States of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and Germany condemn the approval by the Israeli security cabinet of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank,” the statement read.

“We recall that such unilateral actions, as part of a wider intensification of the settlement policies in the West Bank, not only violate international law but also risk fueling instability. They risk undermining the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan for Gaza amid efforts to progress to phase 2 and harming prospects for long term peace and security across the region,” it added.

The signatories recalled their “clear opposition to any form of annexation and to the expansion of settlement policies, including the approval of the E1 settlement and thousands of new housing units.”

They called on Israel, the occupying power, to “reverse this decision, as well as the expansion of settlements, in line with UNSC Resolution 2334.”

K.F.