UK Condemns Israeli E1 Settlement Tender, Warns Two-State Solution at Risk

The UK government has condemned Israel’s decision to issue a tender for the controversial E1 settlement project, warning that the move could undermine the viability of a future two-state solution.

In a statement issued on 19 August 2026, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described the publication of the tender by the Israeli government as “an unacceptable and destructive act.”

Miliband said the E1 project could cut across the heart of the occupied West Bank and risk separating the West Bank from East Jerusalem, potentially threatening the viability of a future Palestinian state.

“The UK has been clear privately and publicly in our opposition to E1 and our support for a two-state solution as the only way to ensure long-term security and peace for both Palestinians and Israelis,” Miliband said.

He added that all settlements damage the prospects for a two-state solution and constitute “a flagrant breach of international law.”

Miliband said he had raised the issue directly with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, calling on the Israeli government to immediately halt its E1 plans, withdraw the tender and stop settlement expansion.

The Israeli chargé d’affaires was also summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), where British officials expressed the UK’s “profound objection” to the move and demanded an immediate reversal.

Miliband also highlighted the impact of settler violence on Palestinian communities, describing it as catastrophic. He warned that settlement expansion and attempts to create irreversible divisions on the ground threaten peace, security and the prospects for a viable Palestinian state.

“Britain will not stand back and accept the destruction of the two-state solution,” he said.

The UK government said it would set out a comprehensive package of measures in the coming weeks in response to Israeli government policies. The measures are expected to include steps to protect the viability of a future Palestinian state and targeted sanctions against those involved in illegal settlement expansion.

The government also said it would continue to support efforts towards a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians.