The heads of the Church of England and Catholic Church in England and Wales have expressed their opposition to the annexation of West Bank territory by Israel.
The Archbishop of Canterbury and Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster voiced concerns in letters to the Israeli Ambassador, Mark Regev, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
In the letters, they expressed their opposition to plans by the Israeli Government to begin annexing parts of the West Bank from 1 July.
The Church leaders said that they "unambiguously support the fundamental right of Israel's citizens to live in peace and safety but these prospects can only be secured through negotiation rather than annexation."
The appeal from the Archbishop and Cardinal follows a recent warning from the leaders of Churches in the Holy Land that the proposed annexation of West Bank territory could "bring about the loss of any remaining hope for the success of the peace process."
The Jerusalem Post reports that troops are being deployed ahead of 1 July amid fears of a return to the levels of violence seen during the First and Second Intifadas.
Meni Blonder, director of security of the Binyamin Regional Council in the central West Bank, told The Jerusalem Post he was ready for the "worst-case scenario".
