Particle.news

Coalition of 19 Countries Denounces Israel’s West Bank Moves as ‘De Facto Annexation’

The joint statement frames Israel’s Feb. 15 land‑registration plan across Area C as a step toward unlawful annexation under international law.

Overview

  • Issued late Monday via Turkey’s foreign ministry, the statement was signed by Brazil, France, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and others, with the Arab League and OIC chiefs endorsing it.
  • The signatories call Israeli settlement expansion a flagrant violation of international law and cite the International Court of Justice’s 2024 advisory opinion.
  • Israel’s decisions include restarting land‑title registration, reclassifying parcels as state land and easing settler land purchases, with registration slated across Area C, about 60% of the West Bank.
  • The ministers urge reversal of the measures, prosecution of violent settlers and the immediate transfer of withheld tax revenues owed to the Palestinian Authority.
  • The coalition pledges concrete steps to counter settlement growth and forcible displacement, and the OIC has announced an emergency foreign ministers’ meeting this week in Jeddah.