8 nations condemn Israeli settlement expansion and E1 project

Foreign ministers from eight nations, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, have issued a strong condemnation of Israel's ongoing settlement policies in the occupied Palestinian territory. The ministers specifically rejected the E1 settlement plan and associated activities east of occupied East Jerusalem. In a joint statement, they renewed their denunciation of settler violence and attacks against Palestinians and their property, which they assert are backed by Israeli occupation authorities. The ministers emphasized that these actions do not diminish the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, violate international law and UN resolutions, and pose a significant threat to regional and global peace. They warned that the E1 plan represents a dangerous escalation, advancing settlement expansion and annexation efforts. Such moves, they stated, would sever the territorial contiguity of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, thereby jeopardizing the viability of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 lines. These measures, the ministers argued, directly contradict international peace efforts, including former President Donald Trump’s peace plan, which opposed annexation and forced displacement, and undermine Trump’s stated commitment against West Bank annexation. Reaffirming their support for the two-state solution, based on international law and UN resolutions, as the sole viable path to a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace, the ministers cautioned that undermining this solution would escalate tensions and destabilize regional and international security. The ministers endorsed accountability measures, including potential international sanctions against individuals and entities involved in illegal settlement activities and annexation policies. They urged an immediate cessation of all funding that supports settlement establishment or expansion, stressing that a lack of accountability perpetuates violations and damages prospects for peace. The group called for immediate action to halt the E1 scheme, reverse related measures, and end all activities altering the demographic and geographical character of occupied Palestinian land. They urged the UN Security Council and the international community to uphold their legal obligations by halting settlement expansion, protecting the Palestinian people, and supporting their right to self-determination and statehood.