Nearly twenty countries from Europe and the Islamic world criticized the recent Israeli decisions in the West Bank, and considered them a clear path towards actual, unacceptable annexation and a direct attack on the foundations of the establishment of the Palestinian state and the two-state solution, coinciding with the acceleration of settlement construction and the government’s approval of 52 new settlements in 2025.

Published on: 02/24/2026 - 00:01 Last updated: 02/24/2026 - 10:11

Nearly twenty countries, most of them from Europe and the Islamic world, denounced the recent Israeli decisions aimed at expanding “illegal Israeli control” over the occupied West Bank, describing it as a step aimed at “moving towards unacceptable actual annexation.”

The joint statement on Monday stated that Tel Aviv approved during this month a series of measures facilitating the purchase of lands by settlers and their registration in the West Bank, which has been under Israeli occupation since 1967, deepening settlement control over Palestinian land.

The signatories explained that Israel's decision to "reclassify the Palestinian land as so-called Israeli 'state land'" represents "part of a clear path aimed at changing the reality on the ground and moving towards actual, unacceptable annexation," in violation of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.

Read also: The Israeli security cabinet approves controversial measures to tighten control over the West Bank

The statement stressed that these steps represent “a direct and deliberate attack on the foundations of the establishment of a Palestinian state and the implementation of the two-state solution,” warning of their repercussions on the chances of achieving a just and lasting peace in the region, and on broader regional stability.

The list of signatory countries includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, France, and Spain, in addition to other countries, including Indonesia, Brazil, and Turkey. The Secretaries-General of the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in addition to the Palestinian Authority, also participated in the signing.

Figures indicate that the West Bank hosts, in addition to about three million Palestinians, more than 500,000 Israeli settlers in settlements and settlement outposts that international law considers illegal, while the current Israeli government has accelerated the pace of expansion, with its approval to build 52 new settlements in 2025, a number described as a record.

France 24/AFP

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