Over 80 Nations Condemn Israeli Enemy’s West Bank Annexation Plan
More than 80 United Nations member states on Tuesday condemned the Israeli Enemy’s plan to expand control over the occupied West Bank, warning it could lead to dispossession of Palestinian land, according to a joint UN statement.
Speaking for the coalition, Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour said, “We strongly condemn unilateral Israeli decisions and measures aimed at expanding Israel’s unlawful presence in the West Bank.”
“Such decisions are contrary to Israel’s obligations under international law and must be immediately reversed. We underline in this regard our strong opposition to any form of annexation,” Mansour said.
“We reiterate our rejection of all measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem al-Quds,” he said.
“Such measures violate international law, undermine the ongoing efforts for peace and stability in the region, run counter to the Comprehensive Plan and jeopardise the prospect of reaching a peace agreement ending the conflict,” he added.
The Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict is described as a November agreement between the Israeli side and Hamas aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
Signatories to the joint statement included Australia, Canada, China, France, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the European Union, the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The statement followed the Israeli regime’s move to implement land registration in Area C of the West Bank for the first time since 1967, when it began its occupation of Palestinian territory.
Area C accounts for about 60 percent of the West Bank, according to the settlement monitoring group Peace Now.
Separately, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the land registration initiative could result in the “dispossession of Palestinians of their property and risks expanding Israeli control over land in the area”.
Guterres described the process as potentially “destabilizing” and unlawful, citing a 2024 advisory ruling by the International Court of Justice declaring the occupation unlawful.
Israel’s “abuse of its status as the occupying power” renders its “presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful”, the ICJ said in its ruling.
“Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds, and the regime associated with them, have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law,” the court added.
According to the ICJ, about 465,000 Israeli settlers live across roughly 300 settlements and outposts in the occupied West Bank, which it considers illegal under international law.
In a separate incident, a 13-year-old Palestinian child was killed and two others were seriously injured in the central Jordan Valley of the occupied West Bank by ammunition reportedly discarded by the Israeli military, the Wafa news agency reported.
The injured children, aged 12 and 14, are receiving hospital treatment, Wafa said.