ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Eight Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, have issued a joint condemnation of Israel’s decision to classify large areas of land in the occupied West Bank as “state property”, calling the move illegal and a threat to the two-state solution.
A group of eight Muslim countries, including Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, has strongly condemned Israel’s decision to declare parts of the occupied West Bank as state land and to approve a wide-scale land registration framework for the first time since 1967.
According to a joint statement released by their foreign ministers, the step is aimed at accelerating settlement activity, consolidating control over occupied territory and imposing what they described as unlawful sovereignty over Palestinian land. The statement described the measure as a serious escalation that undermines the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
The development comes alongside fresh violence in Gaza, where Palestinian officials reported casualties following Israeli airstrikes.
The coordinated response followed reports that the Israeli government approved a proposal to register large areas of the occupied West Bank as state property. Israeli authorities said the measure is intended to enable transparent clarification of land rights and help resolve legal disputes related to ownership.
PR No.4️⃣4️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣ Joint Statement by the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan UAE, Indonesia, Türkiye , Saudi Arabia, Qatar Condemning Israel’s Illegal Decision of Designation and Occupation of Occupied West Bank as State Land and Illegal Settlement Activity … pic.twitter.com/af57kG6Gu4
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) February 17, 2026The eight-country statement rejected that justification and labelled the decision a violation of international law and international humanitarian law. It specifically cited the Fourth Geneva Convention and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which calls on Israel to halt settlement activity in occupied Palestinian territory.
The ministers also said the measure contradicts an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice regarding the legal consequences of Israeli policies in occupied Palestinian areas, including actions that alter legal, historical and demographic status.
The joint declaration warned that the land registration decision is designed to impose a new legal and administrative reality on the ground. It said such steps weaken the two-state solution framework and damage prospects for a just and comprehensive peace in the region.
The ministers urged the international community to take clear and effective action to halt the measures and support the Palestinian right to self-determination. They reiterated support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 4 June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Separately, Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, described the measure as unlawful and destabilising through a statement delivered by his spokesman. The European Union also called on Israel to reverse the decision, while several individual countries in the region issued their own condemnations.
Gaza strikes
The diplomatic escalation coincided with renewed violence in Gaza. According to a report by Reuters, Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip killed at least 11 Palestinians on Sunday, citing Palestinian officials and medical sources.
Health authorities in Gaza said one strike on a tent encampment sheltering displaced families killed at least four people. Additional strikes reportedly killed five people in Khan Younis in the south, while another person was shot dead in the north. Further attacks targeted an individual in Gaza City.
Israel said the strikes were carried out in response to ceasefire violations by Hamas, which it accused of breaching truce terms. Palestinian officials disputed the justification and reported civilian casualties from the attacks.