Israel’s moves to tighten its control over the West Bank have prompted a global backlash, including a signal from Washington reiterating the Trump administration’s opposition to annexing the occupied territory.
Announcing the measures to expand Israeli control over areas currently under Palestinian rule, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz made it clear that they were aimed at strengthening Israeli bases in the West Bank and preempting the emergence of independent sovereignty. Palestine.
Actions, Approved by the Israeli Security Councilwho owns land in the West Bank and also makes it easier for non-Arabs to buy property in the territory. It was not initially clear when the new regulations would come into force but they do not require further approval.
“We will continue to kill the idea of a Palestinian state,” Katz said in a joint statement with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
The EU called the measures “another step in the wrong direction” and said sanctions, including suspending parts of the EU-Israel trade deal, were “still on the table”.
A joint statement by a group of Arab and Islamic states is central to what Donald Trump hopes to implement A peace plan in Gazathey “condemn in the strongest terms illegal Israeli decisions and actions aimed at imposing illegal Israeli sovereignty”.
The signatories – including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Indonesia and Turkey – said the new measures would “incite violence, exacerbate conflict and harm regional stability and security”.
The UK said it strongly condemned Israel’s actions. “Any unilateral attempt to change the geographical or demographic makeup of Palestine is completely unacceptable and contrary to international law,” the UK statement said. “We call on Israel to immediately reverse these decisions.”
The Australian Government, which Hosting the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Also joined the global intersection. “Australia objects to the Israeli Security Cabinet’s decision to expand Israeli control over the West Bank. This decision undermines stability and security,” the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement. “The Australian Government has made it clear that the settlements are illegal under international law and a significant obstacle to peace. Changing the composition of the Palestinian population is unacceptable.
“A two-state solution is the only viable path to long-term peace and security for Israel and the Palestinians.”
The outrage over Israel’s actions comes ahead of a White House meeting on Wednesday between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump. The administration has not officially commented, but a White House official issued a statement to reporters indicating his opposition.
“President Trump has made it clear that he does not support Israel’s annexation West Bank“A stable West Bank keeps Israel safe and is consistent with this administration’s goal of achieving peace in the region,” the statement said.
The new measures directly target power and control over a wide range and territory in the West Bank. They repealed a pre-1967 Jordanian-era law that prohibited the sale of land to non-Arabs.
They transfer authority over building licenses in Hebron from the Palestinian-run municipality to the Israeli civil administration, to the army’s occupation authority in the territory. The transfer may violate the 1997 Hebron Protocol, which divided the city into two divisions.
Jewish settlement around Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem was also transferred from Palestinian rule to direct Israeli control.
The Palestinian Authority has control over its designated parts of the West Bank It has been severely weakened over the past decades Lack of money, aggressive Israeli blockades and settlement-building, as well as its own corruption. It issued a statement in its capital, Ramallah, warning that the new Israeli moves were aimed at “deepening efforts to annex the occupied West Bank”.
