In a significant diplomatic development, the foreign ministers of eight nations—the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt—have issued a joint condemnation of Israel’s recent authorization of land registration procedures in the occupied West Bank. The ministers characterized the decision as a severe violation of international law during a coordinated statement released on Tuesday.
The controversial policy, which marks the first large-scale land registration initiative since 1967, involves classifying territories as ‘state lands’ to facilitate settlement expansion. The coalition of nations warned that these measures represent a dangerous escalation intended to consolidate Israeli control through systematic land confiscation and the imposition of illegal sovereignty over Palestinian territories.
Citing multiple legal frameworks, the ministers emphasized that Israel’s actions directly contravene the Fourth Geneva Convention and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which explicitly prohibits settlement activities in occupied territories. They further referenced the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion that maintains the illegality of Israel’s occupation policies.
The joint statement articulated deep concern that these administrative changes aim to alter the demographic and historical status of the West Bank, thereby undermining the feasibility of a two-state solution. The ministers asserted that such unilateral measures jeopardize regional stability and diminish prospects for establishing an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Reiterating their categorical rejection of these policies, the eight nations called upon the international community to implement decisive measures ensuring accountability and protecting Palestinian rights to self-determination. The coordinated response signals growing international pressure against settlement expansion activities that continue to shape the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.