A Foreign Office spokesman said:

We are concerned by the Jerusalem municipality’s decision to issue a permit for a new four storey building in Silwan, East Jerusalem. This is part of a worrying trend in the area, where the settler population is growing while Palestinian residents are being displaced by evictions and demolitions.

We are also concerned by the recent Israeli Government approval of an additional £12m of funding for settlements, which sends a worrying message. Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and take us further away from a two-state solution.

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