Egypt issued an official statement harshly condemning the Israeli government’s decision to resume land registration and settlement procedures in the occupied West Bank for the first time since 1967.
Egypt called the move a “dangerous escalation” aimed at consolidating Israel’s control over the occupied Palestinian territories and undermining the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
It stressed that the decision is a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and relevant Security Council resolutions, such as Resolution 2334 of 2016.
The statement affirmed that Israel contravenes the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on July 19, 2024, which affirmed the illegality of measures aimed at altering the legal, historical, and demographic status of the occupied Palestinian territories, the obligation to end Israel’s occupation, and the inadmissibility of acquiring territory by force.
Egypt described this move as an attempt to impose a new legal and administrative reality aimed at consolidating control over the occupied territories – thus undermining the two-state solution, jeopardizing the prospects for establishing a viable, independent Palestinian state, and threatening the chances of achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the region.
It reiterated its complete rejection of all unilateral measures aimed at altering the legal, demographic, and historical status of the occupied Palestinian territories, warning that these policies constitute a dangerous escalation that will exacerbate tension and instability in the Palestinian territories and the entire region.
Egypt called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and take concrete steps to halt these violations, ensure respect for international law, and protect the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them their right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Israel resumes West Bank settling
The Israeli government’s decision, approved by the cabinet on Sunday, marks the first official step to resume land registration in the West Bank since its occupation in the June 1967 Six-Day War.
This decision allows for the conversion of Palestinian land into Israeli “state land,” facilitating settlement construction and preventing Palestinians from claiming ownership rights. It is estimated to affect approximately 62 percent of the West Bank.
Historically, Israel froze registration procedures after the occupation to avoid recognizing Palestinian rights, but this move is now seen as an attempt to solidify de facto annexation, particularly following previous decisions such as the annexation of the Jordan Valley in 2020.
The decision violates the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits altering the status of occupied territories, UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemns settlements as illegal, and the International Court of Justice’s recent advisory opinion in July 2024, which obligates Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories.
