The Brazilian government joined around 20 countries in condemning recent measures adopted by Israel in the West Bank. In a statement released this Monday (23), the group states that the initiatives expand Israeli control over the occupied territory and constitute a “de facto annexation”, in violation of international law.
The text is signed by foreign ministers from countries such as France, Spain, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, as well as representatives from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OCI) and the Arab League.
In the statement, the governments state that the reclassification of areas as Israeli “state property” and the expansion of settlements indicate an attempt to permanently change the situation on the ground.
According to the signatories, these actions compromise the viability of a future Palestinian state and weaken the two-state solution, defended by the international community as a way out of the conflict. The group also calls on Israel to curb settler violence against Palestinians and hold perpetrators of attacks accountable.
Israeli presence
Among the recent measures is a project announced by the Israeli Ministry of Construction and Housing to expand the settlement of Geva Binyamin, known as Adam, located northeast of Jerusalem. The proposal envisages the construction of 2,780 new housing units. The plan still depends on formal procedures to move forward.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, but this status is not recognized by most of the international community. Part of the areas involved are under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority, in accordance with the Oslo Accords signed in the 1990s.
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Currently, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem. Approximately three million Palestinians reside in the same territory.
Data points to an increase in attacks
The escalation of tension also appears in the records of violence. Data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicate that, in the first half of the year, settlers carried out more than 750 attacks against Palestinians and their properties — an average of close to 130 monthly incidents. It is the highest rate since the compilation of this data began, in 2006, and almost five times higher than that recorded in 2022.
In the statement, the countries also highlight the importance of preserving the status historical and legal status of Jerusalem and its holy sites, especially during Ramadan, and reiterate that they may adopt additional measures, in accordance with international law, to contain the expansion of settlements.
(With international agencies)
