LONDON 

The British minister for the Middle East on Thursday condemned the Israeli government’s approval of new illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

"The Israeli government’s approval of 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank is a deliberate obstacle to Palestinian statehood," Hamish Falconer said in a post on X.

"The UK condemns these actions. Settlements are illegal under international law, further imperil the two state solution, and do not protect Israel," he added.

According to reports, first circulated on Tuesday, the Israeli Security Cabinet has "secretly" approved the construction of 22 new illegal settlements on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank.

The International Court of Justice declared last July that Israel’s longstanding occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal, and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

According to Palestinian figures, illegal settlers staged 341 attacks against Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank last month.

Since the start of the Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023, at least 970 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers across the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.