RIYADH: The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and several other Muslim countries warned against the continuation of Israel’s expansionist policies and illegal measures in the occupied West Bank on Monday.
The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkiye strongly condemned new Israeli measures to tighten control of the West Bank and pave the way for more settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Israel approved the measures, announced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz, on Sunday. They include allowing Jewish Israelis to buy West Bank land.
The Israeli measures also envisage transferring authority over building permits for settlements in parts of Palestinian cities, including Hebron, from the Palestinian Authority’s municipalities to Israel.
The foreign ministers reaffirmed that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territory and said such measures undermine ongoing efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.
