The British Foreign Office issued a statement concerning the deadline for bids on a tender for development of the E1 area, located on the West Bank of the Jordan River. The Israeli government's decision to open tenders for settlement construction in this zone was assessed as an action posing a direct threat to the realization of the "two states for two peoples" principle — one of the foundations of Middle East peace settlement. The E1 area is considered strategically important because its development could effectively divide the West Bank into two isolated parts and complicate the creation of a territorially unified Palestinian state. The international community has expressed concern for many years about plans to develop this territory, viewing them as an obstacle to future peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. The British side emphasized that such steps undermine confidence in the negotiation process and contradict international law, according to which settlement construction on occupied territories is considered illegal. Britain traditionally supports the two-state concept as the main pathway to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and calls on both sides to refrain from unilateral actions that could complicate peace prospects. The Foreign Office statement was part of a broader response from the international community to increased construction projects in disputed areas. The issue is expected to continue being discussed at the diplomatic level in the context of efforts to resume the peace process in the Middle East.