UN envoys warn Israeli West Bank measures constitute de facto annexation

Palestine’s UN ambassador, Riyad Mansour, alongside envoys from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab Group, has condemned recent Israeli cabinet decisions in the occupied West Bank, warning they amount to de facto annexation of Palestinian land. At a press conference at UN headquarters in New York, Mansour stated that the Palestinian mission has initiated formal diplomatic steps to challenge the measures and seek their reversal through multilateral action.

Palestinian Diplomatic Push at the UN

Mansour confirmed that a letter outlining Palestine’s position has been circulated to the UN Security Council, the Secretary-General, and the General Assembly president. “We expect the Council to shoulder its responsibility to defend international law, including human rights law and humanitarian law,” he said. Mansour added that Palestinian diplomats will intensify engagement with Security Council members in the coming days to push for concrete action, framing the situation as a test of the international community’s will against Israeli plans.

Regional Blocs Unite in Condemnation

Speaking on behalf of the OIC, Türkiye’s UN Ambassador Ahmet Yıldız strongly denounced the Israeli measures, warning they would destabilize the region and undermine peace efforts. “They undermine the two-state solution and represent an assault on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to realize their independent and sovereign state,” Yıldız stated. Syria’s envoy, Ibrahim Olabi, representing the Arab Group, echoed the condemnation, describing the moves as a flagrant breach of international law that accelerates illegal annexation and displacement.

Background of the Israeli Measures

The envoys' statements follow Sunday’s approval by Israel’s Security Cabinet of steps aimed at altering the legal and administrative framework in the West Bank. According to Israeli media, the decisions include repealing a ban on land sales to private Israeli individuals, unsealing land ownership records, and transferring building permit authority in a Hebron-area settlement bloc from Palestinian to Israeli control.