UN chief condemns new Israeli annexation project in occupied West Bank

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed grave concern and condemned Israel's recent decision to authorize measures facilitating settlement expansion and widening its administrative and enforcement control over the occupied West Bank.

Guterres made the remarks on Monday following similar condemnations from regional countries that slammed Israel's move as a step in the direction of annexing the occupied territory.

The moves, approved by Israel's security cabinet on February 8, 2026, include easing restrictions on Jewish settlers purchasing land in the territory, lifting confidentiality on land registry records, and expanding Israeli enforcement powers in Areas A and B which is traditionally under Palestinian Authority jurisdiction per the Oslo Accords.

Palestinian officials describe these steps as accelerating de facto annexation, violating international law, and undermining the prospects for a two-state solution.

Guterres, through his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, reiterated that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East al-Quds, along with their associated regime and infrastructure, have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of international law as well as relevant United Nations resolutions.

He called on Israel to reverse the measures, warning that the current trajectory, including this decision, is eroding the viability of a negotiated two-state solution in line with Security Council resolutions and international law.

The European Union has condemned the decision as another step in the wrong direction, further complicating peace efforts.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly denounced Israel's actions as part of its ongoing colonial policy, labeling them a war crime and a grave breach of international law and UN resolutions.

Several Muslim-majority countries—including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar, and Pakistan—issued a joint statement condemning the moves in the strongest terms.

They described the decision as an illegal attempt to impose Israeli sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territory, undermining regional stability and the two-state vision.

Muslim nations condemn Israel’s new West Bank settlement laws

Israel is denounced for trying to impose “unlawful sovereignty” over the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian resistance groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, have also denounced the expansionist policy, holding the United States and countries that have normalized relations with Israel responsible for enabling or failing to prevent the consequences of such decisions.

These developments follow a pattern of accelerated settlement activity, including recent approvals for thousands of housing units (such as in the E1 area) and the establishment of new settlements, which have drawn repeated international criticism.

The Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, statement aligns with broader Palestinian reactions, including from the Palestinian Authority and Fatah, which have described the moves as "criminal" and aimed at entrenching annexation while violating international law and the Oslo Accords.

Human rights groups warn that public land registries could facilitate settler approaches to Palestinian landowners for purchases or pressure, accelerating settlement expansion and complicating future Palestinian statehood claims.

The decisions come amid ongoing tensions in the occupied territories, where Israeli settlement activity has continued to rise despite international condemnation.

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