Various Foreign Ministers condemn Israel over West Bank moves, statement says

The Foreign Ministers of Brazil, France, Spain, Turkey ​and various other states condemned Israeli decisions ‌that they said introduce sweeping extensions to ​unlawful Israeli control over ⁠the West Bank.

“Changes are wide-ranging, reclassifying Palestinian land as so-called Israeli ‘state land’, accelerating ‌illegal settlement activity, and further entrenching Israeli administration,” said the joint ‌statement, issued late on Monday ‌(February 23, 2026) by ⁠the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

Other countries to ⁠sign the statement included Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar, as well as the heads ​of the Arab ‌League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Israel’s cabinet on February 15 approved further measures to tighten Israel’s control over ‌the occupied West Bank and ​make it easier for settlers to buy land, a move ⁠Palestinians called a “de-facto annexation”. The West Bank is among the territories that ‌Palestinians seek for a future independent state. Much of it is under Israeli military control, with limited Palestinian self-rule in some areas run by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.

The joint ‌statement said the settlements, and decisions designed ​to further them, are “a flagrant violation of international law” and a ⁠step towards “unacceptable de facto annexation”.

It said they ⁠also undermine the ongoing efforts for peace and stability in ‌the region and threaten any meaningful prospect of regional integration.