Britain's Foreign Affairs and Commonwealth Office summoned Tzipi Hotovely to discuss the plans to establish a settlement in E1, between Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Adumim, on Thursday.
Britain, along with other European nations, has slammed the plan as a "flagrant" breach of international law that would undermine the idea of a two-state solution.
Additionally, France's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that the approval by an Israeli planning commission of a project to build settlements in the E1 area east of Jerusalem is unacceptable and constitutes a violation of international law.
On Wednesday, Israel said that the E1 project, which would bisect the occupied West Bank and cut it off from east Jerusalem, had received the final go-ahead from a Defense Ministry planning commission.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich approved the new E1 settlement plan near Ma’aleh Adumim, which would split east Jerusalem from the West Bank.
Standing at the site of the planned settlement on last Thursday, Smotrich said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump had agreed to the revival of the E1 development.
Israel’s Civil Administration approved major construction projects in West Bank, marking a significant expansion in Ma’aleh Adumim in an area known as E1 and the recognition of a new community in Asahel south of Hebron.
The E1 plan, long delayed, will add approximately 3,400 housing units, while Ashahel’s project includes 342 units along with public buildings and infrastructure.
Responses from US, Germany
The United States last Thursday responded to Smotrich's announcement that work would start on a long-delayed settlement plan that would divide the West Bank, stating that a stable West Bank aligns with the Trump administration's goal for peace in the region.
Asked about Smotrich's statement that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump had agreed to the revival of the so-called E1 development, a spokesperson for the US State Department said the US remained focused on ending the war in Gaza and ensuring Hamas will never govern that territory again.
"A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration's goal to achieve peace in the region," the spokesperson said, while referring to the Israeli government for further information.
Germany on Friday called on the Israeli government to stop settlement construction in the West Bank after Smotrich said work would start on a plan for thousands of homes in the E1 expansion of Ma’aleh Adumim that would make it much more difficult to create a Palestinian state.
Germany “firmly rejects the Israeli government’s announcements regarding the approval of thousands of new housing units in Israeli settlements in the West Bank,” said a foreign ministry spokesperson in a statement.
Pesach Benson/TPS contributed to this report