Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia, along with 14 countries and two regional organizations, has jointly condemned in the strongest terms the Israeli Knesset’s approval of two draft laws seeking to impose so-called “Israeli sovereignty” over the occupied West Bank and illegal settlements.

The countries include Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Djibouti, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Egypt, Nigeria, and Gambia, in addition to the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

In a joint statement, the countries said the move constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2334, which condemns all Israeli measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character, and legal status of the occupied Palestinian territories since 1967, including East Jerusalem.

The statement also cited the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice affirming the illegality of Israel’s occupation and the invalidity of settlement construction and annexation efforts.

The nations reiterated that Israel holds no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories.

They welcomed the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on October 22, 2025, concerning Israel’s obligations in the occupied Palestinian territories, which reaffirmed Israel’s duty under international humanitarian law to ensure access to essential humanitarian needs for Palestinians, including in Gaza, and to facilitate all possible relief efforts through the United Nations and its agencies, particularly UNRWA.

The court underscored Israel’s obligation to respect the prohibition on starvation as a method of warfare, noting that Israel has obstructed the entry of aid into Gaza.

It reaffirmed the ban on forced displacement and collective transfer, including through the imposition of unbearable living conditions.

The opinion also reaffirmed the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and to establish an independent state, stressing that Israel’s claims of sovereignty over East Jerusalem were deemed “null and void” by the Security Council.

The statement further denounced Israel’s so-called “UNRWA Cessation Law,” which it purports to apply to East Jerusalem, as illegal and invalid.

The countries warned against the continuation of Israel’s unilateral and unlawful policies and called on the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities by compelling Israel to halt its dangerous escalation and illegal actions in the occupied Palestinian territories.

They emphasized that achieving the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people — including the establishment of an independent and sovereign state along the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital — remains the only path to ensuring just and lasting peace, security, and stability in the region.