The British government has said it was “deeply concerned” by Israel’s ongoing operation in the occupied West Bank, warning that the risk of instability was serious and that there was an urgent need for de-escalation.

“We continue to call on Israeli authorities to exercise restraint, adhere to international law, and clamp down on the actions of those who seek to inflame tensions,” a spokesperson for Britain’s Foreign Office said in a statement.

“We recognise Israel’s need to defend itself against security threats, but we are deeply worried by the methods Israel has employed and by reports of civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added the UK “strongly condemns settler violence”, and that it was in no one’s interest for further conflict and instability to spread in the occupied West Bank.