The Organization of Islamic Cooperation is also a signatory to a joint statement calling for a halt to settlement expansion
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Arab League and 19 other countries, including Spain, Ireland, Norway and Portugal, have condemned Israel’s recent decisions to extend its control over the occupied West Bank.
The joint statement warns against the changing reality on the ground and the advancement of an unacceptable “de facto annexation”, urging Israel to stop the expansion of settlements and respect international law.
The foreign ministers emphasized that Israeli settlements constitute “a flagrant violation of international law,” including previous UN Security Council resolutions and the 2024 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice.
Calling on the Israeli government to immediately reverse the decisions, they urged it to respect international obligations and refrain from actions that permanently alter the “legal and administrative status of the occupied Palestinian territory.”
“These decisions follow the unprecedented acceleration of Israel’s colonization policy, with the approval of the E1 project and the publication of its tender,” the statement said, referring to the highly controversial colonization project that, according to Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, “burys the idea of a Palestinian state.”
“Such actions constitute a deliberate and direct attack on the viability of the Palestinian state and the implementation of the two-state solution,” the statement continued.
The joint statement reiterated the rejection of all measures “aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem.”
“In light of the alarming escalation in the West Bank, we also call on Israel to end settler violence against Palestinians, including by holding those responsible accountable,” the statement said.
‘De facto annexation’
On February 8, the Israeli government approved drastic changes to land registration and civil control in the occupied West Bank, a move that Palestinians say violates the Oslo Accords and advances de facto annexation.
Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the changes would “dramatically” alter West Bank politics, paving the way for settlement expansion and land grabs.
In a joint statement, they said the measures would remove legal barriers to Israeli settlers and accelerate settlement development.
Katz said the goal was to grant settlers equal “legal and civil” rights, while Smotrich promised to “continue to fight the idea of a Palestinian state.”
According to Wafa news agency, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stated that the policy was designed to deepen the annexation of the West Bank and violates agreements signed with Israel, including the Oslo Accords.
The Oslo Accords, signed in 1993 and 1995 between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), established limited Palestinian autonomy in parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, dividing the West Bank into Areas A, B and C as a temporary framework for a future Palestinian state – a goal that was never achieved.
According to the new Israeli measures, the military will be able to impose regulations on constructions considered irregular in Areas A and B, claiming to be historical heritage and archaeological sites, which will allow the confiscation of Palestinian lands and the demolition of structures.
The changes would also eliminate the secrecy of land records in the West Bank, allowing settlers to identify Palestinian landowners and purchase land directly.
The release of property records could make it easier for settlers to falsify claims to Palestinian land, a widely documented tactic that is likely to accelerate land grabs across occupied territory.
Increased settler violence
On Monday, in one of several similar incidents recently, Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. The arson attack targeted the Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mosque in the village of Tell, southwest of Nablus.
According to local Palestinian media, the fire consumed the gates and the outside of the mosque before villagers managed to stop it from spreading inside the building.
Images circulating online show charred walls and the ground leading to the mosque. Racist graffiti was also found on the walls of the mosque, including the words “revenge” and “price to pay”.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Religious Endowments, settler gangs, operating under the protection of Israeli forces, attacked 45 mosques in 2025.
Palestinian Christian communities have also been dealing with increased Israeli violence, with more than 50,000 residents living in areas facing increasing threats from Israeli forces and settlers.
Settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem has been a constant for years.
Since the start of the Israeli genocide in Gaza, attacks have intensified, with official data released by the Wall and Settlements Resistance Commission recording around 4,723 cases of settler violence in 2025.
More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli troops and settlers over the past two years, including 217 minors.
Originally published by Middle East Eye on 02/24/2026
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2026/02/24/liga-arabe-e-19-paises-condenam-a-anexacao-da-cisjordania-por-israel/
