Eighty-five nations, including Japan and several international organizations, have issued a joint statement condemning Israel's recent measures to strengthen its control over the West Bank as forms of illegal annexation.
On the 17th, a joint statement was issued by 85 countries, along with the European Union and various international organizations, expressing strong opposition to any form of annexation in response to Israel's recent decisions to enhance its control over the West Bank. This comes after the Israeli government facilitated Jewish settlement in the area and decided to strengthen its supervisory authority in regions where the Palestinian Authority holds administrative and police powers.
The Israeli government had announced on the 8th its intention to expedite Jewish settlement expansion and began the process on the 15th to register land in the West Bank as 'state-owned land' of Israel. The joint statement criticized these unilateral decisions as intended to expand Israel's illegal presence in the West Bank, denouncing them as violations of international law that must be immediately retracted.
The International Court of Justice is expected to deliver an advisory opinion in July 2024, which is anticipated to conclude that Israel's expansion of settlements and its occupation policies are in violation of international law. This ongoing situation intensifies concerns over the prospects of peace and stability in the region, as the international community increasingly condemns Israel's actions in the West Bank.
