British Foreign Secretary David Lammy issued a strong condemnation on Wednesday of Israel’s colonialist expansion plan in the area known as E1, warning that its implementation would constitute a blatant breach of international law and severely threaten the viability of a future Palestinian state.
In a statement shared on the social media platform X, Lammy cautioned that the E1 project would physically sever the West Bank, cutting off East Jerusalem from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory.
He stressed that such fragmentation would critically undermine the possibility of a two-state solution and entrench the geographic and political isolation of Palestinian communities.
Lammy called on the Israeli government to immediately reverse its decision, describing the plan as a dangerous escalation that defies international norms and deepens the structural violence of the occupation.
He reaffirmed the UK’s longstanding opposition to colonial expansion in E1, a zone that has drawn global condemnation for its strategic role in obstructing Palestinian sovereignty.
Located east of Jerusalem, the E1 corridor has long been viewed as a flashpoint by the international community.
Its development would connect the Ma’ale Adumim colony to Jerusalem, effectively isolating East Jerusalem and rendering any contiguous Palestinian state geographically unfeasible.
Human rights organizations and UN officials have repeatedly warned that construction in this area amounts to de facto annexation and violates the core principles of international humanitarian law.
Lammy’s remarks come amid mounting global pressure on Israel to halt its colonial entrenchment and recommit to a genuine peace process.
The UK, along with other governments, has signaled its readiness to formally recognize a Palestinian state should Israel continue to obstruct diplomatic efforts and deny humanitarian access, particularly in Gaza, where conditions have reached catastrophic levels.
It is worth mentioning that Germany has also strongly opposed Israel’s approval of colonial construction in the E1 zone, describing it as a direct violation of international law and a serious threat to the viability of a Palestinian state.
The German government warned that building in E1 would sever the West Bank, isolate East Jerusalem, and dismantle the territorial foundation necessary for a two-state solution.
Berlin emphasized that such actions deepen the fragmentation of Palestinian land and undermine efforts toward a negotiated peace.
Officials expressed concern that the rapid approval of thousands of colonial units reflects a deliberate strategy to entrench unilateral control and erase Palestinian claims to the land.
Germany reiterated its longstanding position that settlement expansion—particularly in strategic areas like E1—contradicts international norms and obstructs the path to justice and accountability.
The statement aligns with growing international pressure on Israel to halt its colonial entrenchment and recommit to a genuine peace process grounded in international law.
The statements came after Israeli occupation authorities have ratified an expansive colonial construction scheme in the E1 zone, located east of occupied Jerusalem.
The plan entails the development of over 3,401 colonial housing units, alongside the creation of a new colony named “Ashahal”, which will include 342 additional units and various public structures.
This decision represents a significant intensification of Israel’s long-standing policy aimed at fragmenting Palestinian territory and obstructing the formation of a sovereign, geographically contiguous Palestinian state.
The E1 zone, positioned between East Jerusalem and the Ma’ale Adumim colony, has been widely recognized as a strategic flashpoint. Its development would sever the West Bank, isolate East Jerusalem, and dismantle the territorial link between key Palestinian cities such as Ramallah and Bethlehem.
Human rights advocates and international monitors have denounced the plan as a form of de facto annexation, warning that it extinguishes the possibility of a negotiated two-state solution and entrenches a system of racial segregation and domination.
The approval process was expedited with unusual urgency, as far-right Israeli officials openly framed the project as part of a broader campaign to assert unilateral control and erase Palestinian presence and rights.
All of Israel’s colonies in the occupied West Bank, including those in and around occupied East Jerusalem, are illegal under International Law, the Fourth Geneva Convention in addition to various United Nations and Security Council resolutions. They also constitute war crimes under International Law.
Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” It also prohibits the “individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory”.
