Eight Arab and Muslim states condemn Israel's E1 settlement plan

Foreign ministers from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt issued a joint statement on Friday condemning Israel's continued settlement policies in the occupied Palestinian territories and its E1 settlement plan in occupied East Jerusalem. The ministers renewed their condemnation of violations and acts of violence by settlers against the Palestinian people and their property, carried out with the support of Israeli occupation authorities. They said such practices do not diminish the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, constitute violations of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, and pose a serious threat to regional and international security. The statement warned that the E1 plan would undermine the geographic contiguity of the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly the link between the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and threaten the establishment of an independent, geographically contiguous and viable Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. The ministers reaffirmed that the two-state solution remains the only viable path to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions. The statement called for the immediate halt of the E1 plan, the cancellation of all related measures, and the imposition of sanctions on entities and individuals responsible for illegal settlement activities.