Friday 24 / October / 2025
Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman, along with fourteen other Arab and Islamic nations, the League of Arab States, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has issued a strong joint condemnation of the Israeli Knesset's approval of two draft laws aimed at imposing "Israeli sovereignty" over the occupied West Bank and illegal Israeli settlements.
The statement, released by the Oman Foreign Ministry, included the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, The Gambia, the State of Palestine, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Egypt, and Nigeria.
The nations declared that the draft laws constitute a blatant violation of international law and UN Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2334. This resolution condemns all Israeli measures intended to alter the demographic composition, character, and legal status of the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.
The countries also highlighted that the move directly contradicts the recent advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on October 22, 2025. This ICJ opinion reaffirmed the illegality of the Israeli occupation, the invalidity of settlement construction and annexation measures, and emphasized that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories.
ICJ Opinion on Occupied Territories and Gaza
Welcoming the ICJ's advisory opinion, the signatory nations noted the Court's emphasis on Israel's obligations under international humanitarian law, including:
Ensuring residents of the occupied territories, including the Gaza Strip, have access to basic daily necessities.
Approving and facilitating all possible relief efforts for the population, particularly through the United Nations and UNRWA.
Respecting the prohibition on using starvation as a method of warfare and halting its prevention of aid entry into Gaza.
The prohibition of mass forced displacement and deportation.
The ICJ opinion also reaffirmed the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state, explicitly stating that Israel’s claim of sovereignty over East Jerusalem remains “null and void.”
Call to the International Community
The signatory countries warned against the continuation of unilateral and illegal Israeli policies. They urged the international community to "assume its legal and moral responsibilities" and compel Israel to halt its dangerous escalation and unlawful actions.
Furthermore, they called for the immediate recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to establish an independent and sovereign state based on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, viewing this as the only path to a just and comprehensive peace.
