Arab Group at the UN condemns Israeli settlement expansion and calls on the Security Council to halt violations

The Arab Group at the United Nations condemned Israel’s illegal settlement expansion policies across the occupied Palestinian territory, expressing its full rejection of the “E1” settlement plan and related activities in occupied East Jerusalem, and affirming that these constitute violations of international law, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, and the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice.

The Arab Group called on the Security Council to fulfill its responsibilities, ensure respect for international law and the implementation of its relevant resolutions, and put an end to these unprecedented violations.

This statement was issued on behalf of the Arab Group at the UN by Sheikh Aliya Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, during the Security Council’s monthly briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, held at UN Headquarters in New York.

The Group emphasized that the Palestinian issue remains central to achieving peace in the Middle East, and that a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace cannot be achieved without ending the Israeli occupation and enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their legitimate and inalienable rights, foremost among them the right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent, sovereign state on the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Group welcomed the growing international recognition of the State of Palestine, reiterating its appreciation for the importance of the “New York Declaration” and its support for the efforts of the Global Coalition to implement the two-state solution.

The Group condemned Israel’s serious and ongoing violations across the occupied Palestinian territory, including attacks on civilians, settlement expansion, land confiscation, home demolitions, forced displacement, and settler terrorism. It also rejected all measures aimed at entrenching the occupation or imposing Israeli sovereignty over any part of the occupied Palestinian territory.

Regarding the Gaza Strip, the Group condemned Israel’s stated rejection of the roadmap aimed at fully implementing the comprehensive plan by US President Donald Trump to end the conflict in Gaza, which was endorsed by Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025), as well as its refusal to establish a Palestinian state. The Group considered these positions to threaten the implementation of the plan and undermine efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace.

It stressed the urgent need for the full and immediate implementation of the plan, which would help address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, ensure security and stability, pave the way for reconstruction and recovery, and guarantee the immediate, safe, sustainable, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid throughout the Strip.

In the occupied West Bank, the Group condemned the serious escalation, including the rising violence by settlers against Palestinian civilians, and called on the international community to compel Israel to halt these practices, hold those responsible accountable, and ensure that impunity is not allowed.

It reaffirmed the geographical and political unity of the occupied Palestinian territory, emphasized the pivotal role of the Palestinian Authority, and condemned measures that weaken it, including the withholding of tax revenues and the undermining of the Palestinian banking sector.

The Group also condemned Israeli measures aimed at altering the Arab, Islamic, and Christian identity of occupied Jerusalem and its legal and demographic status, affirming that these constitute violations of international law and of Israel’s obligations as the occupying power.

The Group emphasized the importance of the role played by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), calling on the international community to provide the necessary support to enable it to carry out its UN mandate. It also condemned Israeli violations against the Agency, including the latest incursion into and evacuation of its Qalandia center, considering these acts a breach of international law and a violation of the immunities and privileges of the United Nations and its agencies, as well as the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.