Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Brazil, France, Spain, Turkiye, and various other countries condemned Israel’s decision to introduce a significant expansion of illegal Israeli control over the West Bank.
“The changes are far-reaching, reclassifying Palestinian land as so-called Israeli ‘state land’, accelerating illegal settlement activities, and further tightening Israeli control,” said a joint statement released late Monday by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
Other countries that signed the statement included Egypt and Qatar, as well as the leaders of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Reuters reported.
On February 15, Israel’s cabinet approved further measures to tighten Israeli control over the occupied West Bank and make it easier for settlers to buy land, in what Palestinians call a “de facto annexation.”
The West Bank is one of the areas where Palestinians are aiming for a future independent state. Much of it is under Israeli military control, and some areas are home to limited Palestinian territories ruled by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.
The joint statement said the settlement and the decision to pursue it were a “grave violation of international law” and a step toward “unacceptable de facto annexation.”
They also said they undermine continued efforts towards peace and stability in the region and threaten meaningful prospects for regional integration.
