Arab-Islamic Bloc Rejects Occupation Measures to Impose 'Illegitimate Sovereignty' on West Bank

Eight Arab and Islamic countries expressed their categorical rejection of the new Israeli measures aimed at imposing illegitimate sovereignty and entrenching settlements in the occupied West Bank. This stance came in a joint statement by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan, in response to the recent occupation decisions.

The ministers warned in their statement that these steps accelerate attempts at illegal annexation of the West Bank and the displacement of the Palestinian people from their land. The signatory countries affirmed that the occupation has no sovereignty over Palestinian territories, emphasizing that all measures taken are null and void and lack any international legal basis.

The joint statement indicated that the continuation of Israeli expansionist policies directly leads to the escalation of violence and conflict throughout the region. The ministers considered these decisions a blatant violation of international law, undermining the two-state solution and international efforts aimed at achieving peace and stability.

The Israeli Ministerial Committee for Political and Security Affairs (the Cabinet) had approved a package of decisions aimed at making radical changes in the legal and civil reality in the West Bank. These moves aim to strengthen direct Israeli control and bypass the powers granted to the Palestinian Authority under previously signed international agreements.

For his part, Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh called on the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the UN Security Council to hold urgent sessions to discuss these developments. Al-Sheikh described the Israeli decisions as undermining all binding agreements and constituting a dangerous escalation aimed at dragging the region towards further tension.

In a related context, the State of Kuwait, in a statement from its foreign ministry, condemned the measures that impose an illegitimate reality aimed at changing the demographic and historical reality in the occupied territories. Kuwait stressed the necessity for the international community and the Security Council to act to stop these violations that undermine the chances of a just and comprehensive peace.

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Al-Budaiwi, also expressed his strong condemnation of these unilateral attempts that contradict the principles of international legitimacy. Al-Budaiwi affirmed the steadfast Gulf position regarding the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The new Israeli measures include the annulment of the Jordanian law that prevented the sale of land to Palestinians in the West Bank in favor of settlers. The decisions also included declassifying land records, facilitating illegal seizure and sale operations in favor of extremist settlement associations.

In another escalatory step, the occupation decided to transfer building permit powers in the settlement bloc in Hebron from the Palestinian municipality to the Israeli Civil Administration. This decision represents a dangerous precedent in withdrawing civil powers from elected Palestinian institutions in favor of the military occupation apparatuses.

The new Israeli powers extended to include supervision and enforcement in areas classified (A) and (B), which are administratively and security-wise under the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority. The occupation authorities justify their intrusion into these areas by citing violations related to unlicensed construction, water issues, and the protection of archaeological sites.

Observers believe that these moves effectively end the divisions of the 'Oslo II' agreement of 1995, which granted Palestinians full control over Area (A). The new measures allow the occupation army to carry out widespread demolition and confiscation operations against Palestinian properties in the heart of cities and villages.

These developments come at a time when Israel has intensified its attacks in the West Bank and Jerusalem since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023. These attacks include systematic killings, demolition of facilities, and expansion of settlement outposts, paving the way for the official annexation of the West Bank.

The eight countries reiterated their call for the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities and compel Israel to stop its dangerous escalation and the inflammatory statements of its officials. They affirmed that fulfilling the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination is the only way to ensure regional security and stability.

Diplomatic sources concluded by emphasizing that Arab and Islamic action will continue in international forums to confront these policies. They stressed that any attempt to change the status quo in the West Bank will not gain any legitimacy, no matter how long the occupation lasts or how laws imposed by force of arms change.

Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian land, and all these measures are null and void and lack any legal effect.