Paris, September 08 (QNA) – Twelve countries, including France, Britain and Canada, declared their intention to impose sanctions on trade in goods with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, in protest of settler violence against Palestinians and settlement expansion.

In a joint statement issued Tuesday, the foreign ministers of France, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Sweden confirmed that their countries intend to impose national restrictions on trade in goods with settlements.

The ministers stressed that these settlements breach international law, adding that they would either support the imposition of European restrictions on such commerce or impose national restrictions, in accordance with their respective procedures.

French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed on the need to take action to prevent the situation from deteriorating further, the statement said.

The ministers noted that the situation in the West Bank has deteriorated rapidly amid unprecedented levels of settler violence and settlement expansion, including the decision to issue tenders for a settlement project in the E1 area, which they deemed unacceptable.

The statement added that Israeli government measures in the West Bank undermine the prospects for a two-state solution, reaffirming those countries’ determination to take action to safeguard it.

The signatory nations called on Israel to halt settlement expansion, stressing the importance of ensuring accountability for those responsible for the violence and investigating allegations of Israeli forces’ involvement in acts of violence.

The countries also strongly repudiated any actions that amount to the annexation of Palestinian territory or the forced displacement of the Palestinian population, reaffirming their commitment to a two-state solution.

(QNA)