ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and seven other Muslim-majority countries have jointly rejected Israel’s recent measures in the occupied West Bank, saying the steps amount to expansionist policies aimed at creating a new legal and administrative reality in the territory.
In a joint statement issued on Monday, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar said the Israeli actions were accelerating what they described as illegal annexation efforts and the displacement of the Palestinian population.
According to the statement released by Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the ministers reaffirmed that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory and warned that continued actions in the West Bank risk further instability in the region.
The statement followed the approval of a series of measures by Israel’s security cabinet that would ease land purchases by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and expand enforcement powers of Israeli authorities over Palestinians. Israeli media reports said the measures include the removal of long-standing regulations restricting private land purchases by Jewish citizens in the territory.
International law concerns
The eight countries said the Israeli steps constituted a violation of international law and undermined prospects for a two-state solution. They described the measures as null and void, adding that they threaten ongoing efforts toward peace and stability in the region.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has described the new measures as dangerous and illegal, warning that they amount to de facto annexation of the occupied territory.
The joint statement said the Israeli actions violate United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemns measures aimed at altering the demographic composition and status of Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem.
Call for international action
The foreign ministers also referred to the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which found Israel’s continued presence and policies in the occupied Palestinian territory to be illegal.
They urged the international community to fulfil its legal and moral responsibilities by pressing Israel to halt what they described as escalating actions in the West Bank. The ministers said that recognition of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and statehood remains essential to achieving lasting peace in the region.
Today's E-Paper