Eight Arab and Islamic countries welcome London's decision to ban imports of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied territories
The foreign ministers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Türkiye, the State of Qatar, and the Arab Republic of Egypt welcomed the decision by the Government of the United Kingdom to ban the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and to impose restrictions on services linked to these settlements. They expressed hope that this decision would contribute to mobilizing the international community to take similar measures consistent with international law, and to hold settlement organizations and individuals engaged in illegal settlement activities accountable.
The ministers also welcomed the joint statement on the two-state solution issued by the foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, in which they affirmed their intention to impose national restrictions and/or support the imposition of European restrictions on trade in goods with illegal settlements under international law, or to seriously consider adopting such measures and others in accordance with the national procedures of each country.
The ministers encouraged the international community to build on these steps and take concrete measures to put an end to activities that support or contribute to the continuation of illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The ministers viewed the announced trends as consistent with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016), and the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on July 19, 2024, including the obligation of all states not to recognize the legality of the situation arising from the illegal Israeli occupation, and not to provide aid or assistance in maintaining the situation arising from the Israeli occupation. In this context, the ministers renewed their call on Israel to annul all measures taken regarding settlement activities, and other actions aimed at altering the geographical and demographic character of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The ministers stressed that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and called for the full and immediate implementation of US President Donald Trump’s comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza, ensuring security and stability, addressing humanitarian conditions, facilitating reconstruction and recovery efforts, and laying the foundations for lasting peace. They affirmed that the only viable path to achieving a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace lies in implementing the two-state solution, through the establishment of an independent, sovereign, geographically contiguous, and viable State of Palestine, based on the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.
