ISTANBUL 

Four Gulf states released statements Thursday condemning the Israeli government's approval of building thousands of new settlement units in the West Bank, warning that the decision obstructs peace and stability in the region.

On Wednesday, Israeli Settlements Minister Orit Strock announced on X the approval of “nearly 3,500 additional (settlement) units in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank),” adding, “We promised - we deliver.”

Saudi condemnation

In response, Saudi Arabia said in a statement from its Foreign Ministry that it “strongly condemns the decision of the Israeli occupation to ratify the construction of about 3,500 new settlement units in the West Bank.”

It said the Israeli decision “is in contravention of all international resolutions, international human right law and the United Nations Charter.”

The ministry further said that “such acts prevent from achieving peace and stability opportunities in the region.”

The kingdom reaffirmed “the need to end the suffering and provide a hope for the Palestinian people and enable them to obtain their rights to live in safety and establish their Palestinian state with the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant international relations.”

Since April 2014, peace negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides have stalled for various reasons, including Israel's insistence on continuing settlement construction and its reluctance to establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Estimates suggest there are over 720,000 settlers in the West Bank, including in occupied East Jerusalem.

UAE: Decision threatens escalation

The United Arab Emirates also strongly condemned the Israeli government’s approval to construct new settlement units in the West Bank and expressed its rejection of all measures aimed at changing the historical and legal status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

It reaffirmed its “categorical rejection of all practices in contravention of resolutions on international legitimacy, which threaten further escalation and instability in the region and impede endeavors to achieve peace and stability.”

It emphasized the “the need to support all regional and international efforts to advance the peace process in the Middle East as well as end illegal practices that threaten the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.”

The UAE, which signed a normalization agreement with Israel in mid-September 2020, increased its criticism of Israeli violations during the current war on Gaza, considering in statements and international forums that they endanger the two-state solution.

Kuwait: Decision void

Kuwait stated it “condemns and denounces the Israeli occupation's decision to build 3,500 new illegal settlement units in the West Bank, in addition to ongoing attempts to Judaize wide parts of the West Bank, including Jerusalem.”

Kuwait reiterated in a statement from its Foreign Ministry its call on the international community and the UN Security Council “to strongly oppose such violations.”

It called on “the countries of the world not to recognize the illegal Israeli decision,” warning that it “eliminates any opportunity for peace in the Middle East and keeps the region in a state of turmoil and tension.”

Kuwait reaffirmed its “firm and principled stance in standing with the Palestinian brothers to regain their legitimate rights clearly stipulated in international resolutions,” stressing “the right of all Palestinians to enjoy a safe and stable life, similar to all peoples of the world.”

Qatar: Serious threat

Earlier on Thursday, Qatar condemned the Israeli decision, emphasizing in a statement from its Foreign Ministry that this step constitutes “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.”

Resolution 2334, issued in December 2016, confirms that Israel's establishment of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity.

Qatar said that “the settlement plans and attempts to Judaize wide parts of the West Bank, including Jerusalem, constitute a serious threat to international efforts aimed at implementing the two-state solution (Palestinian and Israeli), and obstruct the resumption of the peaceful process based on international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.”

It called on the international community to “fulfill its responsibilities, including taking the necessary measures to enforce Security Council resolutions, and compel the Israeli occupation to stop its settlement policies in the occupied Palestinian territories.”

The United Nations and most of the international community consider settlements in the occupied territories since 1967 to be illegal, warning that they undermine the chances of addressing the conflict according to the two-state solution.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, which Tel Aviv said killed nearly 1,200 people.

At least 30,800 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza and nearly 73,000 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.​​​​​​​

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala