RIYADH — Foreign ministers from 31 Arab and Islamic countries, along with the heads of three regional organizations, issued a joint statement strongly condemning recent remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the concept of a so-called "Greater Israel," calling them a serious violation of international law and a threat to regional and global stability. The statement, issued following coordinated diplomatic efforts, described Netanyahu's comments as a "flagrant and dangerous affront" to the rules of international order and a direct challenge to the sovereignty of nations and collective peace. The ministers also condemned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's approval of settlement expansion plans in the sensitive E1 area and his rejection of the establishment of a Palestinian state, calling such actions a breach of UN resolutions, particularly Security Council Resolution 2334. "These actions represent a grave threat to the two-state solution and an illegal encroachment on the right of the Palestinian people to establish a sovereign state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital," the statement read. The signatories warned that the continued expansion of Israeli settlements, attacks on Palestinian cities and refugee camps, and violations of Muslim and Christian holy sites—particularly the Al-Aqsa Mosque—are inflaming tensions and undermining any prospects for peace. The statement reiterated total rejection of forced displacement of Palestinians under any justification and urged an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. It demanded the lifting of the blockade on the enclave and called for unfettered humanitarian access to address what the ministers described as "deliberate starvation used as a method of genocide." The foreign ministers affirmed that Gaza is an inseparable part of the occupied Palestinian territories and called for the Palestinian Authority to resume full governance in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem under a unified legal and political framework backed by Arab and international support. The statement urged the international community—especially permanent members of the UN Security Council, with emphasis on the United States—to uphold their legal and moral responsibilities. It called for holding Israel accountable for its actions, ensuring international protection for Palestinians, and supporting their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state. The joint statement was issued by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gambia, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. It was also endorsed by the Secretary-General of the Arab League, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
