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The foreign ministers of 29 Arab and Islamic countries together with the secretaries general of the Arab League the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council issued a joint statement that categorically rejected any measures aimed at the expulsion or forced displacement of Palestinians from their homeland. The ministers deplored illegal actions intended to consolidate Israeli control and annexation including accelerating settlement expansion land confiscation demolition of Palestinian homes settler violence and forced displacement according to the document shared by Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson. They called for the immediate reversal of these measures the statement added.
The ministers stressed that the road map forms an integral part of a comprehensive plan for Gaza and provides the framework for its second phase which includes full Israeli withdrawal the deployment of an international stabilisation force and the launch of early recovery and reconstruction across the territory. They urged all parties to fulfil their respective commitments in good faith and without delay the joint statement said. The document emphasised that implementation must contribute to the reunification of the West Bank including East Jerusalem with the Gaza Strip.
In the statement the ministers expressed grave concern over measures that undermine the historical and legal status quo of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. They welcomed recent steps taken by the United Kingdom as well as broader European efforts to halt trade with illegal Israeli settlements and called for further effective measures to end settlement expansion and ensure accountability for settler violence. The ministers reaffirmed their support for a sovereign independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital through the two-state solution.
The joint statement reiterated that Gaza must remain an integral part of Palestinian territory and warned that Israeli policies aimed at altering the territorial or demographic character of the occupied Palestinian territory violate international law. It referenced the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice which determined that Israel’s occupation and related policies are illegal according to the ministers. The foreign ministers from nations including Saudi Arabia Egypt Jordan the UAE Qatar Turkey Indonesia and Pakistan among others signed the document.
This latest condemnation follows similar statements issued earlier in 2026 after the Israeli security cabinet approved changes to land registration in the occupied West Bank that Palestinian officials said would deepen annexation and enable settler purchases of Palestinian property a move also criticised by the Palestinian Presidency in February. Jordanian and Egyptian officials have separately echoed these concerns in bilateral meetings with Palestinian leaders emphasising the measures contravene United Nations Security Council resolutions including Resolution 2334. The Arab and Islamic ministers renewed their commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative and international resolutions as the basis for a just and lasting peace.
The statement highlighted the need for the international community including the UN Security Council to assume its legal and moral responsibilities to halt such Israeli policies that undermine prospects for peace. It noted that continued expansionist actions only fuel tension in the region exacerbated by the situation in Gaza and the resulting humanitarian challenges the ministers said. The participating countries include Algeria Bahrain Bangladesh Chad Comoros Djibouti Iraq Kuwait Lebanon Libya Mauritania Morocco Oman Senegal Sierra Leone Somalia Sudan Syria Yemen and the State of Palestine along with the listed organisations.
