Egypt, Arab, Islamic nations condemn Knesset declaration on 'Israeli sovereignty' over West Bank - Foreign Affairs
This came in a joint statement by Egypt, Bahrain, Indonesia, Jordan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Nigeria, as well as the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
On Wednesday, the Israeli Knesset voted 71-13 in favour of a non-binding draft resolution supporting the imposition of so-called 'Israeli sovereignty' over the occupied West Bank, a move that would initiate the annexation process.
The Arab and Islamic joint statement considered the Knesset's approval of the declaration a blatant and unacceptable violation of international law and a flagrant breach of relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, foremost among which are Resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), and 2334 (2016).
These resolutions affirm the invalidity of all measures and decisions seeking to legitimize the occupation, including settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory.
In a related statement, the OIC expressed on Wednesday its rejection and strong condemnation of the vote, describing it as a dangerous escalation aimed at consolidating the illegal colonial occupation and undermining the two-state solution.
The statement also reaffirmed that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT).
"This unilateral move has no legal effect and cannot alter the OPT's legal status, particularly East Jerusalem, which remains an integral part of the territory," it stressed.
On Wednesday, the Arab and Islamic states emphasized that such Israeli actions fuel growing regional tension, exacerbated by Israel's aggression on Gaza and the resulting humanitarian catastrophe.
The statement comes as Israel ratchets up intensified military operations across the occupied West Bank, killing hundreds and demolishing hundreds of homes, in addition to building more settlements in the occupied territories.
It also comes as the 2.3 million population of Gaza have been facing starvation, with tens succumbing to death from hunger, as the Israeli blockade on the entry of all food, water, and medicine nears its fifth month.
In recent days, images of emaciated people in Gaza, many dead and others dying, including children, have sent shivers down the spines of millions around the world.
On Monday, 25 Western countries, along with the EU's crisis commissioner, issued a joint statement calling for an immediate end to Israel's war on Gaza and the immediate and unfettered entry of humanitarian aid to the strip.
This statement, which Egypt welcomed, condemned Israel's blockade on the entry of aid to the strip and rejected any forced displacement or settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories.
On Wednesday, more than 100 international aid organizations affirmed that mass starvation is spreading in the strip and called for the immediate end of the Israeli blockade on Gaza.
The Arab and Islamic joint statement further called on the international community, including the UNSC and all relevant actors, to shoulder their legal and moral responsibilities and take action that halts Israel's illegal policies aimed at imposing a fait accompli by force.
"Such policies undermine the prospects for a just and lasting peace and the two-state solution," it affirmed.
The Arab and Islamic nations also asserted their commitment to the two-state solution based on international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative and to an independent sovereign Palestinian state based on the 4 June 1967 borders.
In 2024, the Knesset passed a similar agenda motion opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state, with a vote of 68-9.
Follow us on:
Short link:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Middle East
3 hours ago
- Middle East
OPEN// Fifth Egyptian aid convoy heads to Gaza with 6,000 tons of supplies
CAIRO, July 31 (MENA) – Egypt dispatched its fifth humanitarian aid convoy to the Gaza Strip early Thursday, carrying 6,000 tons of food and relief supplies, state-affiliated media reported. Al-Qahera News Channel aired footage of Egyptian aid trucks lined up at the Rafah border crossing before making their way into the war-torn Gaza. The Egyptian military announced on Wednesday that four military transport aircraft had carried out airdrops of food aid over hard-to-reach areas in Gaza. The operations were carried out on the orders of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, as part of Egypt's ongoing efforts to support the Palestinian people during the current crisis. Egypt has been coordinating with international and regional stakeholders in a bid to alleviate the worsening humanitarian conditions in the enclave. (MENA) R E E/
Middle East
3 hours ago
- Middle East
OPEN// Sisi welcomes UK's intent to recognize Palestine in call with British PM
CAIRO, July 31 (MENA) - President Abdel Fattah El Sisi reaffirmed Egypt's welcome of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's recent statements indicating the United Kingdom's intention to recognize the State of Palestine. During a phone call Sisi received on Thursday from Starmer, he emphasized that such a move represents a positive step toward restoring the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, chief among them the establishment of an independent state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Presidential spokesman Mohamed El Shennawy said the call touched on the distinguished relations between Egypt and the United Kingdom. Both sides agreed to continue advancing cooperation across various sectors, particularly in economy, trade, tourism, education, and joint investment projects. The leaders also discussed key regional developments, with President Sisi reiterating Egypt's support for the UK's declared intention to recognize the State of Palestine. He stressed that a just and comprehensive resolution to the Palestinian problem, through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, is the only viable path toward lasting peace and stability in the Middle East. Sisi also shed light on Egypt's ongoing efforts to de-escalate the situation in Gaza, highlighting Cairo's push for a ceasefire agreement, the acceleration of humanitarian aid delivery and the release of hostages and detainees, as well as the urgent need to begin reconstruction in the strip. He reaffirmed Egypt's firm position rejecting any displacement of Palestinians from their land. (MENA) M S H/R E E
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
France airdrops aid to Gaza as famine deepens under Israeli blockade - War on Gaza
President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that France had carried out its first airdrop of humanitarian aid into Gaza, as UN-backed experts warned that the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian territory is experiencing famine. A new alert from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system released this week warned: "Famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of the Gaza Strip and for acute malnutrition in Gaza City." The alert added: "The worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip." Concern has escalated sharply over the past week about famine in Gaza after more than 21 months of Israel's war and a five-month blockade that has severely restricted access to food, water, and medical supplies. "Faced with an urgent humanitarian crisis, we just conducted a food airdrop over Gaza," Macron said in English on X (formerly Twitter). "But airdrops are not enough. Israel must grant full humanitarian access to address the risk of famine," he added, thanking France's Jordanian, Emirati, and German partners for their support. Faced with an urgent humanitarian crisis, we just conducted a food airdrop over Gaza. I thank our Jordanian, Emirati, and German partners for their support, as well as our armed forces for their dedication. But airdrops are not enough.… — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 1, 2025 Several tonnes of food will be delivered over the coming days, according to a joint statement from France's foreign and defence ministries. "France is also working on land transport, by far the most effective solution for the large-scale and unhindered delivery of humanitarian goods desperately needed by the population," the statement said. The UN estimates Gaza requires at least 500 aid trucks per day, with each truck typically carrying between 15 and 20 tonnes. The French aid airdrops come a week after President Macron announced that his country would recognize the State of Palestine at the upcoming UN General Assembly in September. Earlier this week, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said France would begin air-dropping 40 tonnes of aid into Gaza starting Friday. On Wednesday, hospitals across Gaza reported seven new deaths from starvation and severe hunger in the previous 24 hours, including a child. Gaza's health ministry later confirmed two more deaths, also including a child, bringing the total death toll from starvation to 159 since the war began — 90 of them children. The ministry also reported that hospitals had received 101 bodies and treated 625 injuries in the past 24 hours due to ongoing Israeli airstrikes. In the same period, at least 81 Palestinians were killed and more than 666 injured while trying to reach food near distribution points operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — a US- and Israeli-backed scheme that has effectively replaced the UN-led humanitarian system in Gaza. GHF began operations in late May. Since then, Israeli troops have routinely opened fire on Palestinian civilians approaching the centres for food, according to UN and rights groups. The UN said that between 27 May and 31 July, at least 1,373 Palestinians were killed while attempting to access food, including 859 in the vicinity of GHF distribution sites. On Friday, Israeli gunfire and airstrikes killed at least 22 people, including eight near GHF aid sites, Gaza's civil defence agency reported. Many in Gaza now refer to those killed near food lines as "martyrs of the breadline." A report released Friday by Human Rights Watch accused Israeli forces at GHF distribution sites of routinely opening fire on starving civilians in acts that amount to war crimes. "The dire humanitarian situation is a direct result of Israel's use of starvation of civilians as a weapon of war – a war crime – as well as Israel's continued intentional deprivation of aid and basic services, ongoing actions that amount to the crime against humanity of extermination, and acts of genocide," the report said. "The repeated use of lethal force against Palestinian civilians by Israeli forces, without justification, violates both international humanitarian and human rights law.... Regular killings by Israeli forces near GHF sites also amount to war crimes," it added. According to the latest official figures, the death toll from Israel's war on Gaza since 7 October 2023 has risen to 60,332, with 147,643 injured. The majority of those killed are women and children. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
