Foreign ministers from multiple nations slam Israel’s recent West Bank decisions as illegal and a step towards de facto annexation, undermining peace prospects.
ISTANBUL: Foreign ministers from several nations have jointly condemned recent Israeli government decisions concerning the occupied West Bank.
In a statement issued late Monday, ministers from Brazil, France, Spain, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar denounced the moves as introducing sweeping extensions to unlawful Israeli control.
The statement, released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, was also signed by the heads of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
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It asserts the changes are wide-ranging, reclassifying Palestinian land as so-called Israeli ‘state land’, accelerating illegal settlement activity, and further entrenching Israeli administration.
Israel’s cabinet approved the further measures on February 15 to tighten its control over the occupied West Bank and ease land purchases for settlers.
Palestinians have labelled the move a “de-facto annexation” of territory they seek for a future independent state.
The West Bank is largely under Israeli military control, with limited Palestinian self-rule in some areas administered by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.
The joint statement declared the settlements, and decisions designed to further them, are “a flagrant violation of international law” and a step towards “unacceptable de facto annexation”.
It said they also undermine the ongoing efforts for peace and stability in the region and threaten any meaningful prospect of regional integration.
