Riyadh: Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have expressed strong condemnation of the recent call by Israel's far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, to annex the occupied West Bank. The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement highlighting that such calls undermine peace efforts, including the two-state solution, and pose a threat to regional security and stability. The ministry further emphasized that these statements are a violation of international laws and UN resolutions, perpetuating occupation and land seizure by force, which they argue sets a dangerous precedent. According to Anadolu Agency, the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry echoed similar sentiments, describing Smotrich's call as a flagrant breach of international law and a blatant violation of the Palestinian people's right to an independent state. The ministry warned that the Israeli minister's statements could complicate the regional situation and hinder international peace efforts aimed at achieving regional and global stability. The controversy stems fr om Smotrich's recent instructions to Israel's Settlement Division and Civil Administration to begin groundwork for infrastructure to "apply sovereignty" in the West Bank. This move has ignited widespread condemnation across the Arab world. Earlier this year, Smotrich confirmed reports of a "secret plan" to annex the West Bank, further intensifying tensions. The situation is compounded by a landmark opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July, declaring Israel's occupation of Palestinian land as illegal and demanding the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly planned to revisit the annexation agenda as US President-elect Donald Trump takes office, recalling his previous, yet unrealized, 2020 plan to annex parts of the West Bank and the Jordan Valley. International law continues to regard both the West Bank and East Jerusalem as occupied territories, deeming all Jewish settlement-building act ivities there illegal.