The UK foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, said in a statement published on 19 October 2026 that the Israeli government's decision to open tenders for settlements in E1 was a direct threat to the prospect of a two-state solution and had been widely condemned internationally. He noted that the day of the statement was the deadline for bids for the E1 settlement tender.

Miliband said the UK had created new powers allowing it to sanction individuals and companies involved in the construction of illegal settlements such as E1. He urged businesses and individuals not to proceed with bids for E1 construction tenders, warning of legal and reputational consequences, including the risk of involvement in serious breaches of international law.

The statement said the government had committed to legislation to ban goods imported from illegal settlements, and to action on services that finance or facilitate them. It also condemned escalating settler violence in the West Bank, including recent attacks on officials from France, Belgium and Poland, a Catholic Church representative, and a US journalist. The statement was issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.