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Fifteen countries including Türkiye, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) issued a joint statement on Thursday, condemning the approval of Israeli Knesset of two draft laws aiming to impose a so called "Israeli sovereignty" over the occupied West Bank and on Israeli illegal colonial settlements.
The countries signing the joint statement are Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Oman, The Gambia, Palestine, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Egypt, and Nigeria.
The signatories condemned the approval "as a blatant violation of international law, and of United Nations Security Council resolutions particularly Resolution 2334, which condemns all Israeli measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character, and status of the occupied Palestinian territory since 1967, including East Jerusalem."
The statement cited the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion affirming the illegality of Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and the invalidity of settlement construction and annexation measures in the occupied West Bank.
"They reaffirm that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory," the statement said.
The signatories welcomed "the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice of 22 October 2025 on Israel's Obligations in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory."
The statement noted: "The Court reaffirmed Israel's obligation under international humanitarian law to ensure that the population of the OPT, including Gaza, has the essential supplies of daily life, and to agree to and facilitate by all means at its disposal relief schemes on behalf of the population, including through the United Nations and its entities, particularly the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)."
The joint statement emphasized: "The Court confirmed Israel's obligation to respect the prohibition on the use of starvation, recalling Israel's blocking of aid into the Gaza Strip and reaffirmed the prohibition of mass forcible transfer and deportation, recalling that this also includes inflicting conditions of life that are intolerable."
The signatories noted the court "further reaffirmed the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and independent statehood, recalling that Israel's territorial claim over East Jerusalem has been declared 'null and void' by the Security Council, which includes the 'Law to Cease UNRWA Operations in the Territory of the State of Israel', which purports to apply to East Jerusalem."
The signatories warned: "They warn against the continuation of Israel's unilateral and illegal policies and practices and call on the international community to shoulder its legal and moral responsibilities and to compel Israel to cease its dangerous escalation and unlawful measures in the occupied Palestinian territory."
The statement concluded: "They uphold the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to establish their independent and sovereign state on the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital as the only path toward achieving a just and comprehensive peace that ensures security and stability in the region."
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