Jordan, Arab states condemn ‘Israel’ land designation in West Bank
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- Foreign ministers from eight Arab and Muslim countries denounce ‘Israel’ for declaring lands in the occupied West Bank as “state land.”
- Officials call the move a violation of international law and warn it threatens Palestinian statehood and regional stability.
The Foreign Ministers of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt issued a joint statement strongly condemning ‘Israel’s’ recent decision to designate areas of the occupied West Bank as so-called “state land” and approve settlement registration for the first time since 1967.
Read more: Jordan slams ‘Israel’ West Bank land grab as illegal annexation
The ministers described the action as an “illegal step” that accelerates settlement activity, confiscates Palestinian land, entrenches ‘Israeli’ control, and imposes unlawful sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Violation of international law
The statement emphasized that the move flagrantly breaches international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2334. The ministers also cited the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion, which highlights the illegality of policies aimed at altering the legal, historical, and demographic status of the occupied territories.
Read more: 'Israel' targets 15% of area C in West Bank in first major land registration since 1967
“This step reflects an attempt to impose a new legal and administrative reality designed to consolidate control over the occupied land,” the ministers said, warning it undermines the two-State solution and jeopardizes the prospects for an independent Palestinian state.
Call for international action
The joint statement reaffirmed rejection of all unilateral measures affecting the occupied territory and urged the international community to take decisive action to uphold international law, protect Palestinian rights, and support self-determination. Officials stressed that the borders of a future Palestinian state should follow the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The ministers warned that continued settlement expansion and land appropriation will heighten tensions across the West Bank and the wider region, threatening peace and stability.
