Burnham: Gaza violence, settlements pushing two-state solution to point of no return

Burnham: Gaza violence, settlements pushing two-state solution to point of no return

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham used his address to the United Nations General Assembly to warn that continued violence in Gaza and Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank were pushing prospects for a two-state solution towards a "point of no return”.

Burnham cited the planned E1 settlement project, saying it would sever East Jerusalem from the West Bank, and urged action to match long-standing international support for a Palestinian state. 

His remarks come days after Britain, France and Canada announced sanctions on goods from Israeli settlements, prompting a sharp response from Israel, which has ordered Britain to close its East Jerusalem consulate and taken other retaliatory measures.