British Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa Hamish Falconer condemned the statements of the far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich regarding the annexation of the occupied West Bank.

"I condemn Minister Smotrich's statements proposing the annexation of West Bank lands," Falconer said in a post on the X platform on Thursday.

He stressed that the annexation undermines hopes for peace, leads to more instability, and described it as "illegal under international law."

The British Minister stressed the need for the Israeli government to reject the statement made by Smotrich.

On November 11, Smotrich said he had instructed the Settlement Administration and the Civil Administration to begin “professional and comprehensive groundwork to prepare the infrastructure necessary for the application of sovereignty” over the West Bank.