The Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemns new settlement plans in the West Bank
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation ( OIC) strongly condemned and categorically rejected the recent approval by Israeli occupation authorities of the construction of 764 new settlement units, in addition to the unveiling of a strategic plan to establish 17 new settlements in various parts of West Bank over the next five years. The OIC considered these escalatory steps to be part of attempts to impose a new reality aimed at altering the demographic and geographic character of the Palestinian territories.
A blatant violation of international law and resolutions of international legitimacy
The organization affirmed in its statement that Israel’s colonial settlement policy constitutes a war crime under international law and a flagrant violation of the UN Charter and the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring its own population into the territory it occupies. It also stressed that these actions blatantly defy relevant UN resolutions, most notably Security Council Resolution 2334 of 2016, which affirmed the illegality of settlements in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem.
Threatening the two-state solution and undermining the chances for peace
In discussing the political and strategic repercussions, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) warned that the continued pace of settlement construction and annexation and expansion plans systematically undermines any chance of achieving a two-state solution . These settlements fragment the West Bank and isolate Palestinian cities and villages from one another, making the establishment of a geographically contiguous and viable Palestinian state virtually impossible, thus threatening security and stability throughout the region.
Calling on the international community to assume its responsibilities
Based on the International Court of Justice's on the illegality of the Israeli occupation, the organization reiterated its urgent appeal to the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to break its silence and uphold its legal and moral responsibilities. It demanded immediate and decisive action to halt all crimes and violations committed by the occupation against the Palestinian people, their land, and their holy sites, and to ensure that Israel is held accountable for its ongoing violations of international law.
