Eight Arab and Islamic nations warn against Israeli E1 settlement plan

Eight Arab and Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, have condemned Israel’s ongoing settlement policies in the occupied Palestinian territories, calling for immediate action to halt the E1 settlement plan and to reverse all measures taken under its framework.

The statement was issued jointly by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt, who expressed their unequivocal condemnation of Israel’s illegal settlement activities and their complete rejection of the E1 plan and related settlement projects east of occupied East Jerusalem.

The ministers also reiterated their condemnation of violations and acts of violence committed by settlers, with the support of Israeli authorities, against the Palestinian people and their property. They stressed that such actions do not diminish the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

The statement emphasized that Israeli settlement policies constitute violations of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, and pose a threat to regional and international peace and security.

The ministers warned that the E1 plan represents a dangerous escalation that could lead to further settlement expansion and annexation, undermining the geographic continuity of the occupied Palestinian territory, especially between the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

They affirmed that these measures threaten the possibility of establishing an independent, geographically contiguous, and viable Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The ministers stated that Israeli actions directly challenge international efforts to achieve peace, including the comprehensive peace plan proposed by President Donald Trump, which firmly rejects annexation and forced displacement, as well as the mechanisms intended for its implementation, including through the Peace Council.

They also noted President Trump’s firm commitment to preventing the annexation of the West Bank in order to achieve stability and end the conflict.

The foreign ministers reaffirmed that a two-state solution, in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions, remains the only viable path to achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace.

They warned that measures aimed at undermining this solution would further escalate tensions, threaten regional and international peace and security, and further diminish prospects for lasting peace and stability in the region.

In this context, the ministers supported all efforts to ensure accountability, including taking appropriate international measures and imposing sanctions on entities and individuals responsible for illegal settlement activities, including the E1 plan, as well as those who support, facilitate, or implement settlement expansion and annexation policies.

They also called for an end to any support or funding that contributes to the establishment, expansion, or entrenchment of illegal settlements, stressing that the absence of accountability perpetuates violations and further undermines the chances of achieving a just and comprehensive peace.

The ministers demanded immediate action to halt the E1 plan and reverse all measures taken under its framework, in addition to stopping settlement activities and other actions aimed at altering the geographic and demographic character of the occupied Palestinian territories.

The statement called on the United Nations Security Council and all relevant states and international bodies to fulfill their responsibilities under international law, take urgent and effective measures to halt illegal settlement expansion, and ensure the protection of the Palestinian people and the safeguarding of their inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination and the realization of their independent state, in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions.