Widespread International Warning Against 'De Facto Annexation' of West Bank and Undermining of Two-State Solution

Foreign ministers from 19 Arab, Islamic, European, and Latin American countries issued a joint statement on Monday evening, expressing their strong rejection of Israeli moves aimed at imposing 'de facto annexation' on the occupied West Bank territories. The ministers warned that these unilateral measures contribute to definitively undermining the two-state solution, threatening the security and stability of the entire region.

Key countries whose foreign ministers signed the statement included Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Palestine, and Turkey, alongside European countries such as France, Norway, Spain, Portugal, and Sweden. The Secretaries-General of the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation also joined the statement, affirming the existence of a cross-continental international consensus against recent settlement policies.

In the strongest terms, the ministers condemned the series of decisions recently taken by the Israeli government, which grant the occupation authorities broad powers to strengthen their illegal control over West Bank territories. The statement considered these steps a blatant violation of international laws and conventions, and directly aimed at altering the geographical and demographic reality on the ground.

The joint statement indicated that these Israeli decisions are not merely administrative measures, but rather part of a clear political path seeking to proceed with the annexation of Palestinian territories in an internationally unacceptable manner. The signatories affirmed that this approach obstructs all diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving peace, including initiatives related to ending the war in the Gaza Strip according to the twenty-point plan.

The ministers demanded that the occupation government immediately retract these decisions and adhere to its international responsibilities as an occupying power. They stressed the necessity of refraining from any steps that would bring about permanent changes in the legal or administrative status of the Palestinian territories, emphasizing that these practices strike at the core components for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The statement drew attention to the unprecedented acceleration in the pace of settlement expansion, especially with the activation of dangerous settlement plans such as the 'E1' project and the publication of tenders related to it, which represents a deliberate attack on the two-state solution. The ministers considered that these expansions aim to isolate East Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings and fragment the West Bank to prevent any future geographical contiguity.

At the conclusion of their statement, the ministers reiterated their rejection of any measures aimed at changing the legal character or demographic composition of the territories occupied since 1967, including the occupied city of Jerusalem. The signatory states affirmed their absolute opposition to any form of annexation, calling on the international community to assume its responsibilities in protecting the two-state solution and ensuring respect for international legitimacy.

Illegal Israeli settlements, and decisions designed to promote them, constitute a blatant violation of international law and are part of a path aimed at unacceptable de facto annexation.