UK, Canada, Germany, others condemn Israel's West Bank settlement plan

Britain, Canada, Germany, and other nations condemn Israel's approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, calling it a violation of international law and a threat to stability.

Countries including Britain, Canada, and Germany, and others on Wednesday condemned the Israeli security cabinet's approval of 19 new settlements in the West Bank, saying they violated international law and risked fuelling instability.

"We call on Israel to reverse this decision, as well as the expansion of settlements," said a joint statement released by Britain, which also included Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain.

"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 fuelling instability," the statement added.

This is a developing story.