Ankara: The Turkish Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the recent motion passed in the Israeli Knesset to annex the occupied West Bank, declaring it 'null and void' under international law. The Ministry emphasized that the West Bank is recognized as Palestinian territory and has been under Israeli occupation since 1967, asserting that any annexation attempts by Israel are illegitimate and provocative, undermining ongoing peace efforts.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Turkish Foreign Ministry criticized the Netanyahu government, accusing it of pursuing violent policies and unlawful actions to maintain power, which it claims are leading to new crises and posing threats to international order and regional security. The Ministry urged the international community to take binding and deterrent measures promptly against what it described as the aggressiveness of a genocidal Israel, emphasizing the need to fulfill legal and moral responsibilities effectively.

Israel has maintained its occupation of the West Bank since the 1967 Middle East War. Recent escalations have seen nearly 1,000 Palestinians killed and more than 7,000 injured in the occupied territory since late 2023, as reported by the Palestinian Health Ministry. This violence has been attributed to actions by Israeli forces and illegal settlers.

In a significant opinion issued last July, the International Court of Justice deemed Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories illegal, calling for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.