Pakistan condemns Israeli annexation moves in occupied West Bank

Pakistan on Thursday condemned Israel’s attempt to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, calling it a violation of international law and a blow to regional peace efforts.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said Israel’s proposed legislation to apply its domestic law to West Bank settlements “constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.”

“Such provocative and unlawful measures undermine ongoing efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region,” the statement said, urging the international community to take “urgent and decisive action” to halt the move.

Pakistan reiterated its support for the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as its capital.

The condemnation followed a vote in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, where lawmakers on Wednesday gave preliminary approval to a bill applying Israeli law to the occupied West Bank.

The move is being viewed as annexation of land Palestinians seek for a future state.

US, Hamas, PA react

US President Donald Trump has said his administration would not support Israeli annexation of the West Bank.

Following the vote, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned the Israeli government that such moves could jeopardize a fragile Gaza peace deal aimed at ending a two-year war.

“I think the president’s made clear that’s not something we can be supportive of right now,” Rubio told reporters before departing for Israel.

Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. Most of the international community regards those territories as occupied, though Israel disputes that designation, citing historical and biblical claims.

The UN’s highest court ruled in 2024 that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, including its settlements, is illegal and should end “as soon as possible.”

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that Israel “will have no sovereignty over Palestinian land,” while Hamas called the Knesset votes “an illegitimate and desperate attempt to annex West Bank lands.”