Netherlands denounces Israeli measures to expand control over West Bank

ISTANBUL

The Netherlands on Tuesday condemned the recent Israeli measures aimed at expanding control over the occupied West Bank as a "clear violation of international law."

"The Netherlands condemns ​new Israeli measures aimed at increasing control over the occupied West Bank. This is a clear violation of international law and brings a negotiated two-state solution further out of sight," Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel wrote on US social media company X.

He "strongly" urged Israel not to implement its recent decisions.

"These actions increase tensions at a moment of unprecedented international efforts for peace and stability in the region. The Netherlands underlines its unwavering commitment to a two-state solution, with a secure Israel alongside an independent and viable Palestinian state," van Weel added.

The foreign minister's remarks came after Israel’s Security Cabinet approved measures Sunday aimed at altering the legal and civil framework in the occupied West Bank to strengthen Israeli control.

According to Israeli media, the decisions include repealing a law that barred the sale of land in the West Bank to private Israeli individuals, unsealing land ownership records, and shifting authority for building permits in a settlement bloc near Hebron from a Palestinian municipality to Israel’s civil administration.