A high-level international coalition, including foreign ministers from the Middle East, Europe, and South America, issued a scathing joint statement on Tuesday condemning Israel’s recent “sweeping extensions” of control over the West Bank.
The group, which includes the foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, France, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Luxembourg, Norway, Palestine, Portuguese, Qatar, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Türkiye, alongside the Secretaries-General of the Arab League and the OIC, warned that Israel’s latest administrative shifts represent a “clear trajectory” toward the de facto annexation of Palestinian territory.
‘Flagrant violations’ of international law
The communique specifically targeted the reclassification of Palestinian land as Israeli “state land” and the accelerated approval of illegal settlements. The ministers characterized these actions as a “flagrant violation of international law,” citing both UN Security Council resolutions and the 2024 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice.
“These decisions aim to change the reality on the ground,” the statement read, noting that such measures directly undermine the “20-Point Plan for Gaza” and broader regional stability.
The coalition expressed particular alarm over the “unprecedented acceleration” of the E1 project—a controversial settlement plan that critics say would effectively bisect the West Bank and render a contiguous Palestinian state impossible.
Demands for accountability and revenue release
Beyond land expansion, the coalition addressed the deteriorating security and economic situation. The ministers called for an immediate end to violence against Palestinian civilians and demanded that the Israeli government hold those responsible accountable. The statement urged the immediate release of withheld tax revenues due to the Palestinian Authority under the Paris Protocol, describing the funds as “vital” for providing basic services in both Gaza and the West Bank. With the region currently observing the Holy Month of Ramadan, the group stressed the “imperative” of maintaining the historic and legal status quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites, reaffirming the significance of the Hashemite custodianship.
A renewed push for two States
Reiterating the framework of the New York Declaration, the coalition reaffirmed its “unwavering commitment” to a sovereign, independent Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 lines.
“The end of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is imperative for regional peace,” the ministers concluded, pledging to take “concrete steps” in accordance with international law to counter policies of forcible displacement and annexation.
