Arab, Islamic nations condemn Israel’s West Bank “state lands” move

Foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt have strongly condemned Israel’s decision to designate lands in the occupied West Bank as so-called “state lands.”

As Caliber.Az reports, the statement was published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar on its social media account.

Eight Arab and Islamic countries strongly condemn the decision issued by Israel to designate lands in the occupied West Bank as so called “state land"

Doha | February 17, 2026

The foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi… pic.twitter.com/zo86cMzLPY

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) February 17, 2026

“Eight Arab and Islamic countries strongly condemn the decision issued by Israel to designate lands in the occupied West Bank as so-called ‘state land,’” the ministers said.

The statement emphasized that the decision approves procedures for the registration and settlement of land ownership across extensive areas of the West Bank for the first time since 1967. “This illegal step constitutes a grave escalation aimed at accelerating illegal settlement activity, land confiscation, entrenching Israeli control, and applying unlawful Israeli sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory and undermining the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” the ministers noted.

They affirmed that these measures violate international law and international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, as well as relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, foremost among them Resolution 2334. The statement also highlighted that the decision contradicts the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice regarding the legal consequences of Israeli policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which underscores the illegality of measures aimed at altering the legal, historical, and demographic status of the territory.

“This step reflects an attempt to impose a new legal and administrative reality designed to consolidate control over the occupied land, thereby undermining the two-State solution, eroding the prospects for the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian State, and jeopardizing the attainment of a just and comprehensive peace in the region,” the ministers warned.

They reiterated their categorical rejection of all unilateral measures aimed at changing the legal, demographic, and historical status of the West Bank. “Such policies constitute a dangerous escalation that will further heighten tensions and instability in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the region as a whole,” the statement said.

Finally, the ministers called on the international community to take decisive action to halt these violations, uphold international law, and safeguard the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. “Foremost among these rights are their right to self-determination, ending the occupation, and establishing their independent and sovereign State on the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” they concluded.

By Vafa Guliyeva