Indonesia and 18 Other Nations Condemn Israel's Expansion of Control in West Bank
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister and 18 other foreign ministers have condemned Israel’s expansion of control over the West Bank. The foreign ministers and several international Islamic organisations assessed that Israel has violated international law and UN Security Council resolutions.
“We strongly condemn Israel’s recent series of decisions introducing a massive expansion of Israel’s unlawful control over the West Bank. These changes are sweeping, reclassifying Palestinian land as so-called Israeli ‘state land’, accelerating illegal settlement activity, and further entrenching Israeli administration,” the 19 foreign ministers said in a joint statement, quoted from the official X account of Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday (24/2/2026).
The joint statement was issued by 19 foreign ministers, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, all condemning Israel’s actions to expand control in the West Bank.
The signatories comprised the Foreign Ministers of the Republic of Indonesia, the Federative Republic of Brazil, the French Republic, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Republic of Finland, the Republic of Iceland, Ireland, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Kingdom of Norway, the State of Palestine, the Portuguese Republic, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Slovenia, the Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Republic of Türkiye, as well as the Secretaries-General of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
“We affirm that Israel’s illegal settlements, and decisions designed to advance them, constitute flagrant violations of international law, including previous UN Security Council Resolutions and the 2024 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice,” the 19 foreign ministers said in the joint statement.
They condemned Israel’s latest decisions as part of a clear trajectory aimed at changing realities on the ground and advancing an unacceptable de facto annexation. Furthermore, Israel’s actions were deemed to undermine peace efforts and regional stability currently being pursued under the 20-Point Plan for Gaza.
“We call upon the Government of Israel to immediately reverse them, to respect its international obligations, and to refrain from actions that would result in permanent changes to the legal and administrative status of the occupied Palestinian territory,” the statement read.
In the statement, the foreign ministers assessed that Israel’s actions simultaneously accelerate unprecedented Israeli settlement policies, with the approval of the E1 project and the publication of tenders for the project. These actions constitute a deliberate and direct attack on the viability of the State of Palestine and the implementation of the Two-State Solution.
“In this context, we reaffirm our rejection of all actions aimed at altering the demographic composition, character, and status of the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem. We oppose all forms of annexation,” the foreign ministers said in the joint statement.
On this basis, the foreign ministers rejected Israel’s actions aimed at altering the demographic composition and status of Palestinian territory. They also called on Israel to halt violence against Palestinian settlers in the West Bank.
“Given the alarming escalation in the West Bank, we also call on Israel to end settler violence against Palestinians, including by holding those responsible accountable,” the statement said.
“We reaffirm our commitment to taking concrete steps, in accordance with international law, to counter the expansion of illegal settlements in Palestinian territory and policies and threats of forced displacement and annexation,” it continued.
Furthermore, the foreign ministers also called on Israel to respect holy sites in Jerusalem during the holy month of Ramadan. They condemned repeated Israeli violations of the status quo in Jerusalem.
“We also emphasise the importance of maintaining the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites, recognising the special role of the Hashemite custodianship in this regard. We condemn repeated violations of the status quo in Jerusalem, which constitute a threat to regional stability,” the statement read.
The ministers also called on Israel to release withheld tax revenues rightfully owed to the Palestinian Authority. They urged that these revenues be immediately transferred to the Palestinian Authority, in accordance with the Paris Protocol, as they are vital for the provision of basic services to the Palestinian population in Gaza and the West Bank.
“We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the Middle East based on the Two-State Solution, in line with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant UN resolutions, based on the lines of 4 June 1967,” the statement said.
This was enshrined in the New York Declaration, which holds that the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is essential for peace, stability, and regional integration. The foreign ministers assessed that only by realising an independent, sovereign, and democratic State of Palestine can coexistence among the peoples and nations of the region be achieved.
The Israeli government has currently accelerated settlement expansion and recognised several outposts.