Former UK and French officials urge international law adherence in West Bank

Former British and French officials have issued a joint call for the maintenance of international law in the West Bank. In a letter published in Le Monde, 102 former diplomats, including former UK Ambassadors to the UN, urged France and the UK to leverage their historical roles and permanent UN Security Council status to uphold international legal principles and rulings from the International Court of Justice.

The officials expressed concern that Israeli actions are undermining the prospects for an independent Palestinian state. This follows recent statements from several European nations opposing new Israeli construction tenders in the West Bank, warning that such projects jeopardize the two-state solution.

Simultaneously, the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the West Bank continues to deteriorate. In Gaza, Israeli military evacuation orders and airstrikes have impacted essential infrastructure, including a recently constructed water desalination facility near the Al-Radwan mosque in Gaza City. The Israeli military stated that strikes targeted Hamas objectives, while Palestinian residents face increasing displacement and shortages of critical resources.