Norway, along with 18 other nations, condemns Israel's actions in the West Bank as a de facto annexation, urging a halt to the expansion of settlements.
Norway and 18 other countries have issued a strong condemnation of Israel's efforts to strengthen its control over the occupied West Bank, which they describe as an attempt at de facto annexation. Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide commented on the "dramatic situation" in the region, highlighting that the Israeli government's actions are seen as reclaiming large areas of Palestinian land and expanding settlements. In response, Eide has collaborated with the foreign ministers of Spain, France, and Saudi Arabia to call for a united front against these actions.
In their joint statement, the nearly 20 nations expressed serious concern over Israel's decision to reclassify Palestinian areas as Israeli state land and expedite the construction of illegal settlements. Eide condemned these decisions as significantly harmful to any progress toward peace and a two-state solution. He stressed that such actions are not only illegal under international law but also severely undermine trust between the involved parties.
The statement serves as a clear message to Israel, indicating that the international community is closely monitoring the developments in the West Bank and is ready to oppose actions seen as violations of Palestinian rights. This international condemnation might pressure Israel to reconsider its policies while also placing the Palestine-Israel conflict back into the spotlight of international diplomacy and negotiations.
