Arab and Islamic ministers condemn Israeli West Bank land designation

Tuesday 17 February 2026 - 14:37

By: Dakir Madiha

Arab and Islamic ministers condemn Israeli West Bank land designation

Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt and Türkiye have denounced Israel’s decision to designate large areas of the occupied West Bank as state land and to initiate comprehensive land registration there for the first time since 1967.

In a joint statement, the ministers described the move as an unlawful escalation aimed at accelerating settlement expansion, seizing Palestinian property and consolidating Israeli control over occupied territory. They said the measures amount to an attempt to impose Israeli sovereignty over land captured in 1967, undermining the rights of the Palestinian people and altering the legal and demographic character of the territory.

The statement asserted that the decision violates international law and international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, as well as binding United Nations Security Council resolutions. The ministers specifically cited Resolution 2334, which calls for a halt to Israeli settlement activity and rejects changes to the demographic composition or legal status of occupied Palestinian land.

They also pointed to an advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which concluded that Israeli policies intended to change the legal, historical and demographic status of the occupied Palestinian territory, as well as the acquisition of territory by force, are unlawful and must cease. According to the ministers, Israel’s latest actions seek to establish a new administrative and legal framework that entrenches control over the West Bank and weakens prospects for a negotiated settlement.

The ministers warned that such unilateral steps risk undermining the viability of a two state solution and obstructing the creation of an independent and contiguous Palestinian state. They said these developments threaten efforts to secure a just and lasting peace in the region and could heighten tensions in the West Bank and beyond.

Reaffirming their rejection of any actions intended to alter the status of occupied territory, the ministers urged the international community to take concrete steps to prevent further violations and ensure respect for international law. They called for protection of the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights, including the right to self determination, an end to the occupation and the establishment of an independent and sovereign state based on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.