America News Agency

The joint statement from the UK’s Foreign Office said that settler violence is fuelled by extremist rhetoric calling for Palestinians' forced eviction, encouraging violence and human rights abuses, and fundamentally rejecting the two-state solution.

It noted that settler violence has led to the deaths of Palestinian civilians and the displacement of entire communities.

“We remain firmly committed to the two-state solution—which is the only way to guarantee the security and dignity of Israelis and Palestinians and achieve long-term stability in the region—but this solution is under threat from extremist settler violence and settlement expansion.”

The statement said Ben-Gvir and Smotrich incite extreme violence and serious violations of Palestinian rights:

“Extremist rhetoric that advocates for the forcible displacement of Palestinians and the establishment of new Israeli settlements is horrifying and dangerous. These actions are unacceptable. We have engaged extensively with the Israeli government on this, yet perpetrators continue to act with impunity.”

“That is why we have taken this step now — to call the perpetrators to account. The Israeli government must uphold its obligations under international law and take meaningful steps to end extremist, violent and expansionist rhetoric.”