Riyadh, Feb. 24 (SANA) Foreign ministers from 19 Arab and other countries on Monday condemned illegal Israeli occupation measures in the occupied West Bank as a “flagrant violation” of international law aimed at expanding settlements and tightening Israeli control over the territory.
In a joint statement issued in Riyadh, the ministers said the steps undermine international law and threaten efforts to achieve a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the statement was signed by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Palestine, Egypt, Turkey, and Brazil, along with France, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. The secretaries-general of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation also endorsed the statement.
The ministers called on Israel to reverse the measures and to refrain from actions that could alter the status of the occupied Palestinian territories. They said the decisions could further destabilize the region and jeopardize ongoing diplomatic efforts, including a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
The statement also urged Israel to curb settler violence in the West Bank and hold those responsible accountable. It said the signatories were committed to taking steps consistent with international law to oppose settlement expansion and what they described as policies of annexation and forced displacement.
The ministers stressed the need to preserve the longstanding status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites, warning that repeated violations risk inflaming tensions.
They also called on Israel to release tax revenues collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, saying the funds are needed to provide basic services in Gaza and the West Bank.
The statement comes amid continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which most of the international community considers illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace efforts.
