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 related 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 involved 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 each country’s national procedures.

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 noted that the announced positions are consistent with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016) and the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice dated 19 July 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 revoke all measures taken with regard to settlement activities and other actions aimed at altering the geographic and demographic character of the occupied Palestinian territory.

The Ministers emphasized that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory, and called for the full and immediate implementation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza, ensuring security and stability, addressing the humanitarian situation, facilitating reconstruction and recovery efforts, and laying the foundations for lasting peace.

The ministers affirmed that the only viable path to achieving a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace is the implementation of the two-state solution, through the establishment of an independent, sovereign, geographically connected, and viable Palestinian state, based on the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.

In this context, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham defended his country’s decision to impose sanctions targeting trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Speaking during the regular Prime Minister’s Question Time session in the House of Commons yesterday, Burnham stated that “the United Kingdom must demonstrate leadership” and “stand up for justice in the face of injustice.” He added, “When people are evicted from their homes and subjected to intimidation, we will always stand with the vulnerable and take all possible measures to support them.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar had announced a series of measures, including the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem and a ban on the entry of 12 British officials into Israel.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband described Israel’s announcement to close the British consulate in Jerusalem as “regrettable” and “harmful,” noting in a statement to BBC Radio that London “had expected this to happen.”

Miliband said, “It must be possible to defend British values of freedom and dignity, and to oppose oppression and injustice, and to do so, just as we have done before by condemning antisemitism.”

For its part, the Palestinian Authority for the Resistance to the Wall and Settlements stated that the announcement by 12 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, and Canada, to tighten restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements represents a shift from political condemnation to practical action, but that it does not, in itself, provide protection for Palestinians.

The authority called for comprehensive international measures, including a ban on commercial and financial dealings with settlements and their supporters, and accountability for institutions and individuals who finance, organize, or protect settlement activities. It emphasized that the true measure of any international stance is its impact on the ground, specifically in preventing the displacement of Palestinians, the confiscation of land, and the establishment of new settlements or outposts.

In another development, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated that Tel Aviv “has no plans to expel or deport anyone from the Gaza Strip.”

Sa’ar added during his visit to Slovenia yesterday, “If a person wishes to emigrate voluntarily, and there is a country willing to receive them, as happens in any conflict zone in the world, we will not object. But we will not force anyone to leave against their will.”

Several members of the Israeli government had previously proposed plans to remove the two million residents of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, largely presenting the initiative as voluntary and asserting that Palestinians wish to leave but are prevented from doing so by Hamas.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation army continued to escalate its attacks on Gaza through a series of airstrikes, artillery shelling, and gunfire targeting various areas in the northern and southern parts of the Strip, while simultaneously issuing urgent evacuation orders to civilians and displaced families.

Eyewitnesses told KUNA that a violent Israeli airstrike targeted a home in the Shati camp in the northwest of Gaza City, resulting in injuries to several Palestinians. The blast was heard across wide areas of the city and caused fear and panic among civilians and displaced families in the surrounding areas.

They added that the strike came after occupation forces issued evacuation warnings for a residential block in the camp, covering adjacent homes and buildings as well as educational and health facilities, before aircraft resumed targeting the area, resulting in the complete destruction of a home and a residential block.

In the Nasr neighborhood of Gaza City, witnesses reported that ambulance crews transported a critically injured person following a drone strike, while another individual was injured by Israeli occupation forces’ gunfire at a field clinic in the northern part of the city, pending transfer to a hospital.

An Israeli aircraft also targeted a motorcycle on Al-Rashid Street in the Sheikh Ajlin area south of Gaza City, resulting in critical injuries to two Palestinians.