ME powers condemn Israeli settlements

Term ‘E1’ West Bank plan ‘dangerous escalation’

ANKARA:

The foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates condemned Israel’s settlement policies in Palestinian territories and said they categorically rejected the residential property project called ‘E1’ in the occupied West Bank.

“The Ministers call for immediate action to halt the “E1” settlement plan, rescind all measures taken in connection with it, and cease all settlement activities and other measures aimed at altering the geographic and demographic character of the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” they said in a joint statement, adding that the plan constituted a “dangerous escalation” that further advanced settlement expansion and annexation of Palestinian lands.

The foreign ministers further reiterated their condemnation of the “violations and acts of violence perpetrated by settlers, with the support of the Israeli occupying authorities, against the Palestinian people and their property,” it added.

According to the joint statement, the foreign ministers stressed that such acts in no way diminish the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, constitute violations of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, and pose a serious threat to regional and international peace and security.

“The ministers warned that the ‘E1’ settlement plan constitutes a dangerous escalation that further advances settlement expansion and annexation and undermines the geographical contiguity of the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly between the West Bank and East Jerusalem, thereby threatening the viability and realisation of an independent, contiguous Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital,” it said.

It emphasised that such actions constitute a “direct challenge to international efforts aimed at achieving peace, foremost among them US President Donald Trump’s comprehensive plan, including its unequivocal rejection of annexation and forced displacement, and the mechanisms envisaged for its implementation, including through the Board of Peace, as well as President Trump’s firm commitment to not allow annexation of the West Bank, with a view to achieving stability and bringing the conflict to an end”.

According to the joint statement, the ministers reaffirmed that the two-state solution, in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions, remains the only viable path towards a just, comprehensive and lasting peace.

“They warn that actions aimed at undermining this solution risk further escalating tensions, threatening regional and international peace and security, and jeopardising prospects for lasting peace and stability in the region,” it said.