RIYADH: The foreign ministers of Arab and Muslim nations on Saturday strongly condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement about the so-called “Greater Israel”, calling them a blatant violation of international law and a direct threat to regional and global peace and security.
“These statements represent a grave disregard for, and a blatant and dangerous violation of the rules of international law and the foundations of stable international relations,” the foreign ministers said in a joint statement.
“They also constitute a direct threat to Arab national security, to the sovereignty of states, and to regional and international peace and security,” said the statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Signatories of the document included the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gambia, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Turkiye, the UAE, and Yemen.
The signatories also included the secretaries-general of the League of Arab States, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The ministers stressed that “while their states reaffirm their respect for international legitimacy and the Charter of the UN, particularly article 2, paragraph 4 which prohibits the use of force or the threat thereof, they will adopt all policies and measures that preserve peace, in a manner that serves the interests of all states and peoples in achieving security, stability, and development, away from illusions of domination and the imposition of power by force.”
The ministers pushed back against Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich’s approval of the settlement plan in the E1 area of the West Bank, along with his statements rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Joint Statement by the Foreign Ministers of 31 Arab and Islamic Countries and the Secretaries-General of the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Gulf Cooperation Council
The Foreign Ministers of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the…
— State of Palestine – MFA 🇵🇸🇵🇸 (@pmofa) August 15, 2025
Qatar said it joined 31 Arab and Islamic countries, the Arab League, the OIC and the GCC in condemning Netanyahu’s statements.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement posted on X, said the Israeli PM’s comments “represent a gross disregard and a blatant and dangerous violation of the rules of international law and the foundations of stable international relations.”
31 Arab, Islamic Countries, Arab League, OIC, GCC Condemn So-called "Greater Israel Vision"
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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) August 16, 2025
Violation of international law
European nations are also alarmed at the move and have called on the Israeli government to halt its plans, with Germany warning that the E1 settlement plan and the expansion of Maale Adumim would further restrict the mobility of the Palestinian population in the West Bank by splitting it in half and cutting the area off from East Jerusalem.
The foreign ministers’ statement said Israel’s plan would constitute a “blatant violation of international law and a flagrant assault on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to realize their independent, sovereign state on the lines of June 4, 1967, with occupied Jerusalem as its capital.”
It warned of Israel’s blatant disregard for the rights of Palestinians and its neighbours as the international community as a whole “directly fuel cycles of violence and conflict and undermines prospects for achieving just and comprehensive peace in the region.”
Ministers “reiterated their rejection and condemnation of Israel’s crimes of aggression, genocide, and ethnic cleansing” and reaffirmed the need for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip “ensuring unconditional humanitarian access to end the policy of systematic starvation that Israel is pursuing as a weapon of genocide.”
Israel’s war on Gaza
More than 61,776 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Israeli bombardment campaign in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
Israel has also continued to block international humanitarian agencies from delivering food to starving people in the enclave.
The UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OHCHR) said it has recorded 11 incidents since the beginning of August involving attacks on Palestinians guarding aid convoys or attempting to obtain assistance, resulting in at least 46 deaths.
Between May 27 and August 13, OHCHR said at least 1,760 people were killed while trying to obtain aid, including 994 near distribution sites run by the controversial GHF.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its conduct in Gaza.
