18 Nations Collectively Condemn Israel's Tightened Control Over West Bank

A total of 18 countries have collectively condemned Israel’s measures to tighten its control over the occupied West Bank, describing them as an attempt to annex the territory and undermine Palestinian sovereignty.

The Israeli government approved a series of initiatives this month backed by right-wing ministers, including launching a process to register land in the West Bank as “state property” and permitting Israeli citizens to purchase land there directly.

The measures “are part of a clear trajectory aimed at changing realities on the ground and carrying out an unacceptable de facto annexation,” the 18 nations said in a joint statement, as reported by the AFP news agency on Tuesday (24 February 2026).

“These actions constitute a deliberate and direct assault on the viability of a Palestinian state and the implementation of the two-state solution,” the statement added.

The statement was signed by major regional powers such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, European nations including France and Spain, as well as Indonesia, Brazil, and Turkey, among others.

The statement was also endorsed by the secretaries-general of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), as well as the Palestinian Authority.

In addition to approximately three million Palestinian residents, more than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements and outposts in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law.

The Israeli government has accelerated the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, occupied since 1967, having approved 52 settlements in 2025.