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The file photo shows a view of part of the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Photo: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD:
In a strongly worded joint statement issued just days before US President Donald Trump chairs the first Gaza Peace Council summit, Pakistan and seven other key Muslim countries on Tuesday condemned Israel’s decision to designate land in the occupied West Bank as “state land” and expand settlement activities.
According to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar “strongly condemn” Israel’s decision to designate land in the occupied West Bank as “state land” and approve procedures for registering and settling land ownership over large areas of the territory for the first time since 1967.
The joint statement called the decision an “illegal measure” and a “serious escalation” aimed at accelerating illegal settlement activities, land confiscation, consolidating Israeli control and illegally applying Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory, while undermining the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
The ministers affirmed that these measures represent a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention, as well as relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, foremost among which United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334.
They further stated that the decision contradicts the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice regarding the legal consequences arising from Israeli policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The opinion highlights the illegality of measures aimed at changing the legal, historical and demographic status of the territory, the obligation to end the occupation and the prohibition of the acquisition of territory by force.
The statement said the move reflects an attempt to impose a new legal and administrative reality intended to consolidate control over occupied lands, thereby undermining the two-state solution, eroding prospects for the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state, and jeopardizing efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the region.
The ministers reiterated their categorical rejection of all unilateral measures aimed at changing the legal, demographic and historical status of the occupied Palestinian territory, warning that such policies constitute a dangerous escalation that would further increase tensions and instability in the territory and the wider region.
They called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and take clear and decisive measures to put an end to these violations, guarantee respect for international law and safeguard the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, first and foremost the right to self-determination, end the occupation and establish an independent and sovereign State along the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Separately, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Senator Ishaq Dar will travel to New York on February 18 to participate in a high-level briefing of the United Nations Security Council on the situation in Palestine.
The meeting will be chaired by the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom in her capacity as President of the Security Council.
During the briefing, Dar will reaffirm Pakistan’s principled and consistent position on Palestine and reiterate its strong opposition to Israel’s recent illegal decisions to expand its control over the West Bank.
He will emphasize the need for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the full implementation of Security Council Resolution 2803, increased humanitarian assistance and the rapid start of the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza.
The Deputy Prime Minister will also highlight Pakistan’s continued engagement with international and regional partners, including the Group of Eight Arab and Islamic countries and the United States, towards a just and lasting peace anchored in international law, leading to the realization of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent, sovereign and contiguous Palestinian state, based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif for capital.
On the sidelines of the visit, Dar will hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts to discuss issues of mutual interest.
