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Qatar condemns Israel's 'illegal plan' to convert West Bank land into state property
The West Bank is among the territories that the Palestinians seek for a future independent state
- PUBLISHED: Mon 16 Feb 2026, 10:22 AM
Qatar has condemned Israel's decision to convert West Bank lands into "state property" belonging to the occupation authorities.
In a statement on February 15, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the occupation's move, considering it an "extension of its illegal plans to deprive the Palestinian people of their rights".
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Israel's security cabinet approved a series of steps on February 8 that would make it easier for settlers in the occupied West Bank to buy land while granting Israeli authorities more enforcement powers over Palestinians.
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Qatar's authority stressed the need for international solidarity to pressure the occupation to halt the implementation of the decision to avoid its serious repercussions.
It also reiterated the country's firm and unwavering stance in supporting the Palestinian cause and the steadfastness of the fraternal Palestinian people, based on international legitimacy resolutions and the two-state solution, which guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The West Bank is among the territories that the Palestinians seek for a future independent state. Much of it is under Israeli military control, with limited Palestinian self-rule in some areas run by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA).
The latest decision was also reported to include allowing Israeli authorities to administer some religious sites, and expand supervision and enforcement in areas under PA administration in matters of environmental hazards, water offences and damage to archaeological sites.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the new measures were dangerous, illegal and tantamount to de-facto annexation.
The United Nations' highest court said in a non-binding advisory opinion in 2024 that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements there is illegal and should be ended as soon as possible. Israel disputes this view.
Regional outrage
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of the UAE, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt have strongly condemned Israel's recent decisions and measures in the occupied West Bank.
They described these actions as attempts to impose "unlawful Israeli sovereignty, entrenching settlement activity, and enforcing a new legal and administrative reality in the occupied West Bank, thereby accelerating attempts at its illegal annexation and the displacement of the Palestinian people."
The ministers reaffirmed that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory.
They warned that Israel's continued expansionist policies and illegal measures in the West Bank fuel violence and conflict in the region.
They expressed their absolute rejection of these illegal actions, which constitute a blatant violation of international law, undermine the two-state solution, and represent an assault on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to realise their independent and sovereign state on June 4, 1967 lines, with occupied Jerusalem as its capital. Such actions also undermine the ongoing efforts for peace and stability in the region.
Global response
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "gravely concerned" at the changes, and warned they were "eroding the prospects for the two-state solution", his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
Guterres called Israel's actions "destabilising" and pointed to an International Court of Justice finding that Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territory is illegal.
In a surprise turn of events, a US official said President Donald Trump opposed the West Bank annexation and wants stability, over Israel's move to tighten its grip over the occupied Palestinian territory.
The United States, Israel's main ally, however held off from directly criticising the Israeli government's moves, which sparked a chorus of international condemnation.
"As the president has clearly stated, he does not support Israel annexing the West Bank," a Trump administration official said late Monday.
"A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration's goal to achieve peace," the official said in response to a question on the Israeli actions.
Israel's security cabinet approved the move ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's latest visit to see Trump in Washington on Wednesday, where he was expected to discuss pressure on Iran.
Meanwhile, Britain on Monday called on Israel to reverse its decision to expand control over the West Bank.
"The UK strongly condemns the Israeli Security Cabinet’s decision yesterday to expand Israeli control over the West Bank," the British government said.
"Any unilateral attempt to alter the geographic or demographic make-up of Palestine is wholly unacceptable and would be inconsistent with international law. We call on Israel to reverse these decisions immediately," the British government added.
With inputs from Reuters, Wam
