Türkiye's Foreign Ministry on Monday issued a joint statement with 20 countries and two regional organizations, warning that Israel’s latest decisions in the occupied West Bank further erode Palestinian rights and tighten Tel Aviv's unlawful control over land internationally recognized as Palestinian territory.
The foreign ministers – representing Türkiye, Brazil, Denmark, Egypt, France, Finland, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Luxembourg, Norway, Palestine, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden – said Israel’s reclassification of large areas as “state land” and its further expansion of illegal settlements reflect a pattern of decisions that undermine international law and worsen conditions on the ground.
The statement, also backed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the League of Arab States, said the moves advance “unacceptable de facto annexation,” complicating diplomatic efforts and eroding the viability of a future Palestinian state.
Ministers highlighted the approval and tendering of the E1 project as a particularly destabilizing step, arguing that it fragments Palestinian territory and further limits the prospects for a negotiated solution. They warned that ongoing policies risk locking in permanent changes to the legal and administrative status of the territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem.
Citing mounting settler violence, the signatories urged Israel to halt attacks on Palestinians and ensure accountability, saying the escalation jeopardizes security and stability across the West Bank.
The ministers also called on Israel to immediately release tax revenues owed to the Palestinian Authority under the Paris Protocol, noting that the withheld funds have severely strained essential services in both Gaza and the West Bank.
With Ramadan underway, the statement underscored the need to preserve the historical and legal status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites and recognized the role of Hashemite custodianship. They warned that repeated violations risk igniting wider tensions.
The joint declaration reaffirmed support for a two-state solution based on the 1967 lines, saying only a sovereign and independent Palestinian state can deliver lasting peace and regional integration.
