New york city: Eighty countries and international organizations condemned Israeli unilateral decisions and measures aimed at expanding Israel's illegal presence in the West Bank.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, a statement was delivered by the Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, during a press conference at UN headquarters in New York City. The group declared that these decisions contradict Israel's obligations under international law and called for their immediate reversal, expressing firm opposition to any form of annexation.
The statement reiterated rejection of all measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character, and legal status of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem. It noted that such actions violate international law, undermine efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region, conflict with a comprehensive framework for resolving the conflict, and threaten prospects for a final peace agreement.
The countries reaffirmed their commitment, as outlined in the New York Declaration, to taking concrete measures in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions. They also referenced the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on July 19, 2024, to support the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and address settlement policies and threats of forced displacement and annexation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.
They stressed that achieving a just and lasting peace based on relevant UN resolutions, the Madrid framework, the land-for-peace principle, and the Arab Peace Initiative, and ending the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 through a two-state solution, remains the only path to ensuring regional security and stability.