20 Arab, Islamic and European Nations Condemn Israel's Annexation of the West Bank, Outline Their Demands

WEST BANK — Twenty nations comprising Arab, Islamic and European countries have firmly condemned the Israeli foreign minister’s decision to expand illegal control over the occupied West Bank.

This was set out in a joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Palestine, Türkiye, Brazil, France, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Slovenia, Luxembourg and Portugal, along with the Secretary-General of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

As reported by Al Jazeera on Tuesday (24/2/2026), the statement published by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its official X account affirmed that Israel’s latest decision to reclassify Palestinian territory as state territory, accelerate settlement expansion and strengthen Israeli administration in the occupied territories constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and UN Security Council resolutions, and contradicts the 2004 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.

The statement called on the Israeli government to immediately revoke its decision and refrain from making permanent changes to the legal status of occupied Palestinian land, as well as to halt settler violence and prosecute those responsible for violations against the Palestinian people in the West Bank.

The ministers stressed the importance of preserving the existing historical and legal status of East Jerusalem and its holy sites, recognising the special role of the historic Hashemite custodianship in this regard. They warned that Israel’s repeated violations of the status quo in Jerusalem pose a threat to regional stability.

The statement also called on Israel to immediately release and transfer withheld Palestinian tax revenues in accordance with the Paris Protocol, given the importance of these revenues in providing basic services to the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank.

The statement concluded by reaffirming commitment to achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East based on a two-state solution. This is in line with the Arab Peace Initiative and UN resolutions, emphasising that ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict along the 4 June 1967 borders is a fundamental prerequisite for achieving regional stability and integration.