ANKARA

Türkiye on Tuesday rejected "in strongest terms" recent statements by top Israeli officials calling for annexation of the occupied West Bank, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

"These statements, which are in defiance of international law and the two-state solution, are proof that Israel's ultimate goal is the seizure of Palestinian territories," said a ministry statement.

The lack of penalties for Israel's ongoing "policy of genocide and occupations" against Palestinians further encourages Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters, it stated.

It called on the UN Security Council and the international community to take a strong stance against Israel's "unlawful" policies.

On Monday, Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, at the group meeting of his far-right Religious Zionism Party, said it is time to annex the occupied West Bank, adding that he had instructed relevant institutions to start work on an annexation plan. 2025 will be the “year of annexation” of the West Bank, he said.

This June, Smotrich confirmed reports from The New York Times that he had a “secret plan” to annex the West Bank and thwart any efforts to incorporate it into a future Palestinian state.

This July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) reaffirmed Palestinians’ right to self-determination, asserting that Israeli settlements on occupied land must be dismantled.

Israeli daily Hayom also reported that senior Israeli officials have been drafting plans to extend sovereignty over certain settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank, approve thousands of housing units, and lift sanctions on settlers.

According to Israeli estimates, more than 720,000 illegal settlers live in settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Under international law, however, all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are considered illegal.​​​​​​​

*Writing by Serdar Dincel