The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and six other Arab and Muslim countries vehemently rejected and denounced Israel's "E1" settlement expansion plan.
The foreign ministers of eight nations signed the unified declaration, reported The Gulf News.
In a joint statement released on Friday, the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye and Egypt categorically rejected the "E1" settlement plan and associated settlement activities east of occupied East Jerusalem and denounce Israel's ongoing illegal settlement policies in the occupied Palestinian territory.
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They further restate their denunciation of the violations and violent acts committed against the Palestinian people and their property by settlers with the backing of the Israeli occupying authorities, the statement further said.
They emphasise that such actions seriously jeopardise regional and global peace and security, violate international law and pertinent UN resolutions, and in no way diminish the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people.
The ministers cautioned that the "E1" settlement plan is a dangerous escalation that threatens the viability and realisation of an independent, contiguous Palestinian State based on the 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital by further advancing settlement expansion and annexation and undermining the geographical contiguity of the occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly between the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
In a joint statement, the Foreign Ministers further stated that such actions directly undermine international efforts to bring about peace, chief among them President Donald Trump's Comprehensive Plan, which includes a clear rejection of annexation and forced relocation, as well as the mechanisms envisioned for its implementation, such as the Board of Peace, and President Trump's unwavering pledge to forbid annexation of the West Bank to achieve stability and end the conflict.
In line with international law and pertinent UN resolutions, the Ministers reiterate that the two-state solution is still the only practical route to a fair, all-encompassing, and long-lasting peace. They caution that attempts to undermine this approach run the risk of increasing tensions, endangering regional and global peace and security, and endangering the region's chances for long-term peace and stability.
According to the joint statement, the Ministers support all efforts to ensure accountability in this regard, including the implementation of appropriate international sanctions and measures against organisations and individuals that engage in illegal settlement activities, such as the "E1" settlement plan, as well as those that support, facilitate, or carry out policies of settlement expansion and annexation.
They also demand that all funding and support for the creation, growth, and entrenchment of illegal settlements be stopped. They emphasise that the absence of accountability exacerbates the likelihood of a fair and all-encompassing peace and encourages the continuance of transgressions.
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In accordance with international law and pertinent United Nations resolutions, they further urge the UN Security Council, all States, and pertinent international actors to fulfil their obligations under international law and take prompt, decisive action to stop the growth of illegal settlements, protect the Palestinian people, and uphold their inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination and the realisation of their independent state.
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