The Arab League convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday to review recent Israeli steps to expand settlement activity and tighten control over the occupied West Bank.
Chaired by the United Arab Emirates, the meeting was held at the level of permanent delegates to discuss Arab action "to counter the aggressive decisions by the Israeli government,” Egypt’s state-run Al-Ahram newspaper said.
Addressing the meeting, Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Faid Mustafa called the Israeli measures "unprecedented escalation intended to solidify the de facto annexation of large swathes of the West Bank.”
He warned that the Israeli actions "effectively undermine the political basis of the two-state solution, which still enjoys broad international consensus as the only viable framework for achieving a just and lasting peace.”
Palestinian delegate Muhannad Al-Aklouk said the Israeli decisions represent a "qualitative shift aimed at deepening annexation and territorial expansion.”
