A significant multinational coalition comprising Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Brazil, France, Spain, Turkey, Qatar, along with the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, has issued a forceful joint statement condemning Israel’s recent territorial expansions in the occupied West Bank. The diplomatic condemnation, released through the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Monday evening, addresses measures approved by Israel’s cabinet on February 15 that substantially extend administrative control over Palestinian territories.
The statement characterizes these developments as implementing ‘sweeping extensions to unlawful Israeli control’ through systematic reclassification of Palestinian land as Israeli ‘state land.’ This administrative maneuver accelerates illegal settlement activity while further entrenching Israeli administration in territories recognized under international law as occupied Palestinian land.
Diplomats explicitly labeled these settlements and supporting decisions as ‘a flagrant violation of international law’ and a dangerous progression toward ‘unacceptable de facto annexation.’ The West Bank represents core territory Palestinians seek for an independent state, though much remains under Israeli military control with limited Palestinian self-rule in Western-backed Authority-administered areas.
The coalition warned these measures fundamentally undermine ongoing peace and stability efforts while threatening meaningful prospects for regional integration. This coordinated international response highlights growing diplomatic concern over unilateral actions that alter territorial status quo in one of the world’s most politically sensitive regions.