Israeli actions in the West Bank spark Arab and international backlash

Israeli actions in the West Bank spark Arab and international backlash
2026-02-09T15:33:28+00:00

Shafaq News- Middle East

Foreign ministers from eight countries, together with the European Union, blasted on Monday recent Israeli measures in the West Bank, warning that the steps are intended to impose “a new legal and administrative reality” that accelerates de facto annexation and increases Palestinian displacement.

The measures, approved by Israel’s cabinet on Sunday, include repealing Jordanian-era restrictions on land sales, lifting confidentiality on land registries, transferring planning authority in parts of Al-Khalil (Hebron) to Israel’s Civil Administration, and extending Israeli enforcement powers into areas classified as A and B under the Oslo II Accord, according to Israeli media. Under the accord, Area A falls under full Palestinian civil and security control, Area B under Palestinian civil administration with Israeli security oversight, while Area C —about 61% of the West Bank— remains under full Israeli control.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Turkiye, Indonesia, and Pakistan described the decisions as “null and void,” cautioning that they could entrench settlement expansion, fuel violence, and undermine prospects for peace. They characterized the steps as a serious violation of international law and a blow to the two-state solution, reaffirming support for a Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 lines with Jerusalem as its capital, while citing UN Security Council Resolution 2334 and the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, both of which reject actions that alter the status of occupied Palestinian territory.

Calling on the international community to press Israel to halt the measures and prevent further escalation, the ministers stressed, “The fulfillment of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and statehood, based on the two-state solution in accordance with resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, remains the only path to achieving just and comprehensive peace that ensures security and stability in the region.”

Separately, EU spokesperson Anouar El Anouni told reporters that the bloc rejects Israeli decisions to expand control over the West Bank, describing the move as another step in the wrong direction. The EU does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over territories occupied since 1967 and considers annexation illegal under international law, he reiterated.

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