The foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt have rejected Israel’s recent decision to designate lands in the occupied West Bank as “state land” and approve procedures for land registration and settlement stating that the decision affects the occupied territories and the peace process.
The ministers in a statement on Tuesday outlined the legal and administrative implications of the move.
“This step reflects an attempt to impose a new legal and administrative reality designed to consolidate control over the occupied land, thereby undermining the two-State solution, eroding the prospects for the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian State, and jeopardising the attainment of a just and comprehensive peace in the region.”
They emphasised that unilateral measures could escalate tensions in the region.
“The Ministers reiterate their categorical rejection of all unilateral measures aimed at altering the legal, demographic, and historical status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
“They stress that such policies constitute a dangerous escalation that will further heighten tensions and instability in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the region as a whole.”
The ministers called on the international community to act. “The Ministers call upon the international community to assume its responsibilities and take clear and decisive steps to halt these violations, ensure respect for international law, and safeguard the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them their right to self-determination ending the occupation, and to establish their independent and sovereign State on the lines of 4 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
They noted that this is the first approval of land registration and settlement procedures in the West Bank since 1967.
The ministers said the measures violate international law, including relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the Fourth Geneva Convention.
They also referenced the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion.
“This step also contradicts the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice concerning the legal consequences arising from Israeli policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which underscored the illegality of measures intended to alter the legal, historical, and demographic status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the obligation to end the occupation, and the prohibition of the acquisition of territory by force.”
The statement explained that Israel’s action could entrench control over the occupied land and affect the prospects for a Palestinian state.
By urging the international community to respond, the ministers highlighted the importance of upholding international law and safeguarding Palestinian rights