West Bank Settlements: International Ministers Condemn Recent Israeli Decisions

The foreign ministers and regional organisations denounce recent Israeli measures that expand control over the West Bank. They say the decisions deepen illegal settlement activity, entrench Israeli administration, and risk de facto annexation. The ministers warn these steps harm prospects for peace, undermine regional stability, and obstruct efforts such as the 20 Point Plan for Gaza and broader regional integration.

The joint statement is issued by the foreign ministers of 20 states, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Brazil, France, Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan and Qatar. It is also backed by the Secretary General of the League of Arab States and the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, highlighting coordinated concern over developments in the occupied Palestinian Territory.

The signatories explain that Israel has reclassified large areas of Palestinian land as so‑called Israeli "state land". They say this change speeds up settlement construction and extends direct Israeli administration in the West Bank. According to the statement, these actions breach international law, United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the 2024 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice.

The ministers argue that the latest moves form part of a long-term direction that seeks to alter facts on the ground. They describe a clear pattern aimed at advancing an unacceptable de facto annexation of the West Bank. In their view, such a course not only blocks meaningful peace efforts but also threatens any realistic path toward broader regional cooperation and normalisation.

The statement links the new decisions to what it calls a sharp acceleration in Israel’s settlement policy. It highlights the approval of the E1 project and the publication of its tender as key examples. The ministers say these steps are a deliberate and direct attack on the viability of a future Palestinian State and on the practical implementation of the Two-State Solution.

Concerned governments and organisations commit themselves to respond through lawful measures. They "reaffirm our commitment to taking concrete steps, in accordance with international law, to counter the expansion of illegal settlements in Palestinian territoryand policies and threats of forcible displacement and annexation." They stress that continued settlement growth makes any negotiated solution harder to realise.

Israeli settlements, West Bank demographics and Jerusalem status quo

The foreign ministers restate their opposition to any attempt to alter the demographic composition, character or status of Palestinian land occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem. They say they reject every form of annexation. They call for the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its Holy Sites to be preserved, noting the "special role of the historic Hashemite custodianship."

They add that repeated violations of this status quo in Jerusalem represent a threat to regional stability. The statement stresses particular concern during the Holy Month of Ramadan, when access and calm around Holy Sites carry added significance. Any change to arrangements at these locations, they warn, risks igniting wider tensions in the West Bank and beyond.

Israeli settlements, West Bank violence and Palestinian Authority finances

Amid what they describe as an alarming escalation in the West Bank, the ministers urge Israel to stop settler violence against Palestinians. They call on Israeli authorities to hold perpetrators fully accountable. The statement links unchecked attacks by settlers to the broader settlement enterprise and warns that such violence further undermines security and the credibility of any political process.

The signatories also address the financial situation of the Palestinian Authority. They call on Israel to immediately release all withheld tax revenues that are legally due to the Palestinian Authority. These funds, they stress, must be transferred under the Paris Protocol and are essential for providing basic services to Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank.

The joint message closes by restating support for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East based on the Two-State Solution. The ministers back the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant UN resolutions, referring to borders along the 4 June 1967 lines. As highlighted in the New York Declaration, ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is described as vital for regional peace, stability and integration, and for an independent, sovereign and democratic Palestinian State.

With inputs from SPA