Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemned, in the strongest possible terms, the Israeli occupation authorities' approval of the construction of colonial settlements around the occupied city of Jerusalem.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the Kingdom also denounced the Israeli Foreign Minister's statements preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state, considering them a violation of international law and the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of their sovereign state. These actions contradict relevant Security Council resolutions, notably Security Council Resolution 2234 (2016), which calls on Israel to cease settlement activities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and affirms the illegality of Israel's establishment of settlements in the territory occupied since 1967.
The Kingdom recalled the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, which affirmed the invalidity of the annexation of the occupied Palestinian territories and the necessity of ending the Israeli occupation. The Ministry's statement emphasized that these decisions and statements highlight the ongoing illegal expansionist policies of the Israeli government, which obstruct the peace process and pose a serious threat to the possibility of a two-state solution.
Saudi Arabia urged the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities, protect the Palestinian people, and fulfill their legitimate rights, including recognition of the Palestinian state. The statement called for compelling Israel to stop its aggression against Gaza, halt illegal violations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and hold accountable those responsible for crimes against the Palestinian people, including those amounting to genocide.
The Kingdom reiterated its categorical rejection of Israeli policies based on settlement expansion, forced displacement, and the denial of the Palestinian people's legitimate rights. It appealed to the international community, especially the permanent members of the Security Council, to take immediate action to compel the Israeli occupation authorities to end their crimes against the Palestinian people and the occupied Palestinian territory and to comply with UN resolutions and international law.