Jeddah, Feb 16 (.) The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Monday strongly condemned a series of Israeli measures in the occupied West Bank, including the recent move to classify land as “state property,” calling them illegal and a threat to the two-state solution.
In a statement, the OIC General Secretariat said the measures aim to deepen Israel’s control, expand settlements, alter the political and demographic status of Palestinian territory, and undermine the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state.
“These Israeli decisions target the existence and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination and an independent state on the June 4, 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” the statement said, noting that the actions violate international law and UN resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 2334.
The OIC called on the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to intervene immediately to compel Israel to halt all illegal actions and hold it accountable for violations against the Palestinian people, their land, and holy sites.
The Israeli government has approved a plan to classify large areas of the occupied West Bank as “state property” if Palestinians cannot prove ownership, prompting regional criticism and accusations of “de facto annexation.”
The proposal was put forward by far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich (Finance), Yariv Levin (Justice), and Israel Katz (Defense).
Smotrich described the plan as a continuation of “the settlement revolution to control all our lands,” while Levin called it a demonstration of Israel’s commitment “to strengthening its grip on all its parts.”
The approval revives “settlement of land title” processes, which have been suspended since Israel’s occupation of the West Bank in 1967.
Among the attendees are representatives from the Arab League, a group of 22 member nations stretching from North Africa to the Gulf and representing primarily Arab-majority states, with a combined population of nearly 500 million.
Officially known as the League of Arab States, the Arab League was established in Cairo on March 22, 1945, by seven founding members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan (now Jordan), Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen. Its creation reflected the shared desire of Arab countries emerging from colonial rule to coordinate their political stances, promote regional solidarity and safeguard their sovereignty and independence.
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