Pakistan along with 14 nations slams Israeli bid to annex West Bank

• Joint statement condemns Tel Aviv’s move as a ‘flagrant breach’ of international law
• Countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye join Pakistan in denouncing Israel’s annexation attempt
• Statement cites UNSC Resolution 2334 rejecting all demographic or territorial alterations in occupied Palestine.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, along with 14 other nations, on Thursday strongly condemned Israel’s attempt to impose “Israeli sovereignty” over the occupied West Bank, terming it a “flagrant breach” of international law and United Nations resolutions, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.

The joint condemnation came a day after the Israeli Knesset advanced two controversial bills seeking to annex the occupied West Bank—a move that has triggered widespread outrage and warnings of destabilizing the region.

The FO said the statement, signed by 15 countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye, denounced Tel Aviv’s latest legislative push as a “blatant violation” of international law, the UN Charter, and Security Council Resolution 2334, which rejects all Israeli measures aimed at altering the demographic or political character of the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem.

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Joint Statement Condemning Israeli Illegal Legislative Measures Aiming to Impose Sovereignty Over the Occupied West Bank https://t.co/rk0doeqc3q
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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 23, 2025

The statement came amid growing global concern over Israel’s unilateral actions, coming barely a week after US President Donald Trump brokered a deal aimed at ending Israel’s two-year-long military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Trump has since warned that Israel risks losing “crucial US support” if it proceeds with the annexation.

The joint communiqué also welcomed the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued on October 22, 2025, reaffirming the illegality of the Israeli occupation and the invalidity of settlement construction and annexation measures in the occupied Palestinian territories.

“The Court ruled that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory,” the statement quoted the ICJ opinion as saying, emphasizing Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure essential supplies for the population in both the West Bank and Gaza.

The ICJ further recalled that the prohibition of starvation, mass deportation, or infliction of intolerable living conditions on the occupied population is binding under international law. It also reaffirmed the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and statehood, and declared Israel’s claim over East Jerusalem “null and void.”

The joint statement warned against the continuation of Israel’s “unilateral and illegal policies” and urged the international community to “shoulder its legal and moral responsibilities” by compelling Israel to halt its unlawful measures.

It reiterated support for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, calling it “the only viable path to a just and comprehensive peace that ensures stability and security in the region.”