Nearly 20 countries have come together to condemn Israel’s latest moves in the West Bank, describing them as steps toward annexation and a serious threat to Palestinian statehood.
This month, Israel approved initiatives championed by far-right ministers, including a process to register West Bank land as “state property” and allowing Israelis to buy land there directly. Critics say these actions are changing the reality on the ground and undermine decades of peace efforts.
In a joint statement, 18 mostly European and Muslim-majority nations—including France, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Brazil, and Turkey—called these measures “a deliberate and direct attack on the viability of the Palestinian state and the implementation of the two-state solution.”
The statement also received endorsements from the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Palestinian Authority.
The West Bank is home to roughly three million Palestinians and more than 500,000 Israeli settlers living in settlements deemed illegal under international law. The current Israeli government has accelerated settlement expansion, approving a record 52 settlements in 2025 alone.
Occupied since 1967, the West Bank would form the largest part of any future Palestinian state. Many on Israel’s religious right, however, continue to view the land as inherently Israeli.
Human voices from the region speak volumes: Palestinians continue to navigate daily life under these changes, facing uncertainty over their homes, livelihoods, and future. For many, these moves are not just political headlines—they are deeply personal, shaping the reality of families who have lived in this land for generations.
