Ramallah: The foreign ministers of eight countries have issued a strong condemnation of the increasing Israeli occupier violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, highlighting recent attacks on two mosques in northern Ramallah.
According to Anadolu Agency, the countries-Trkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates-expressed their denunciation of the continued assaults on the Grand Mosque in Jiljilya and Al-Farouq Mosque in Mazar'a al-Nubani. They stated that these attacks represent a blatant violation of the sanctity of religious sites and international law, including international humanitarian law and relevant UN resolutions.
The foreign ministers also criticized the 'deplorable attacks by Israeli settlers' and ongoing illegal Israeli measures in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. They emphasized that these actions contribute to instability, violence, and extremism, while undermining international efforts to secure peace. Israel, as the occupying power, was held accountable for these attacks by the ministers.
The international community was urged by the ministers to fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities. They called for compelling Israel to cease its harmful escalation in the occupied West Bank, halt illegal practices, and ensure accountability for the perpetrators of violence, preventing them from enjoying impunity.
The ministers reaffirmed their solidarity with the Palestinian people and their support for their legitimate national rights, especially the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital. They reiterated their support for initiatives aimed at ending the Israeli occupation and achieving a just, lasting peace through a two-state solution, in accordance with international law, UN resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative.
As reported by Peace Now, an Israeli organization advocating for a two-state solution, approximately 500,000 illegal Israeli occupiers reside in settlements across the West Bank, with an additional 250,000 in settlements on Palestinian land in occupied East Jerusalem. Palestinian figures indicate that since October 2023, Israeli forces and occupiers have killed at least 1,169 Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, injured over 12,600, and detained around 23,000 amid ongoing conflict.
In a significant ruling last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.