New York, Feb. 11 (SANA) The Arab Group at the United Nations condemned what it described as illegal Israeli measures in the West Bank and called on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities and compel Israel to halt such actions.
In a statement released on Tuesday by Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and current chair of the Arab Group, Ibrahim Olabi, during a press briefing at UN headquarters, the group stressed that Israel holds no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories. It warned that the continuation of expansionist policies and unlawful steps in the West Bank risks fueling violence and escalating regional tensions.
The Arab Group voiced its categorical rejection of these measures, describing them as flagrant violations of international law and an infringement on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to establish an independent state along the lines of June 4, 1967. It underlined that such actions undermine the two-state solution and ongoing efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.
The statement further asserted that all illegal measures in the occupied West Bank are null and void, citing relevant Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2334, which condemns all Israeli measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967.
The group urged the international community to act decisively to force Israel to reverse these policies, cease unlawful practices in the West Bank, and refrain from issuing inflammatory statements.
The group also expressed appreciation for a statement by the UN Secretary-General addressing Israeli measures in the occupied West Bank and highlighting their detrimental impact on prospects for a two-state solution.
The Arab Group reiterated that guaranteeing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people—foremost their right to self-determination and to an independent state in line with relevant international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative—remains the sole path toward a just and lasting settlement that ensures security and stability in the region.
The remarks followed a series of recent decisions by Israeli occupation concerning land administration in the West Bank, which the group said enable home demolitions and land confiscations and facilitate settlement expansion and annexation plans.
Syria has assumed the chairmanship of the Arab Group at the United Nations for the current session, in a move aimed at enhancing cooperation and coordinating positions among Arab countries on the international stage.
The Arab Group includes all member states of the Arab League and works to coordinate positions and unify the Arab voice within various UN bodies, serving collective Arab interests and enhancing their presence in international decision-making.
