Istanbul, 8 March 2024 (TDI): Four Gulf States Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Kuwait have released official statements alarming the world regarding threats to peace and stability due to the newly approved settlement units in the West Bank.
Israeli Settlements Minister Orit Strock declared on 6th March an approval of “nearly 3,500 additional (settlement) units in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank).”
Threat of Escalation
UAE has condemned the announcement of a new settlement as a serious threat leading to further escalation of hostilities in the region.
Despite it has normalized ties with Israel since September 2020, serious censure has been registered by UAE on multiple diplomatic levels against the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza.
In the official statement, UAE has expressed “categorical rejection of all practices in contravention of resolutions on international legitimacy,” and emphasized the need to “end illegal practices that threaten the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.”
Security Council Resolution 2334
Qatar, a key negotiator amongst the Gulf States, has affirmed that the expansion of illegal settlements highlights the “attempts to Judaize wide parts of the West Bank, including Jerusalem.”
The Foreign Ministry in a statement has pinpointed that such unilateral measures constitute “a blatant violation of international law and legitimate international resolutions, especially Security Council Resolution 2334, and a blatant assault on the rights of the Palestinian people.”
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The United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, passed in 2016 confirms that these settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) are illegal, that have been established in 1967 and grown since then, and serve as a major stumbling block towards a two-state solution.
Legitimate rights of Palestinians
Both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have acknowledged the legitimate right to a safe and stable life of all Palestinians endorsing the collective stance of the four Gulf States.
While Kuwait has called on the international community “to strongly oppose such violations,” the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has declared that the Israeli decision “is in contravention of all international resolutions, international human rights law and the United Nations Charter.”
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