Fourteen countries, including Britain, Canada, and Germany, have strongly condemned Israel’s security cabinet for approving 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. This decision raises the total number of new settlements approved in recent years to 69, setting a new record, said Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich. In a joint statement released by Britain and signed by Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain, the countries urged Israel to "reverse this decision, as well as the expansion of settlements." The statement warned that these "unilateral actions" violate international law and could fuel instability. They noted the risk of undermining efforts toward peace and harming progress on the Gaza plan’s phase 2. The countries restated their opposition to annexation and settlement expansion, including the E1 settlement and thousands of new housing units. Israel’s new plan includes rebuilding two settlements evacuated during the 2005 disengagement. This approval by the security cabinet has increased West Bank settlements by nearly 50% during the current government’s rule. In 2022, there were 141 settlements, and following the new approval, there are now 210 according to Peace Now, an anti-settlement group. The statement also reaffirmed support for the Palestinians’ right to self-determination. It calls for a "comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution," where Israel and Palestine live side by side in peace and security within recognized borders. The group emphasized, "There is no alternative to a negotiated two-state solution."