ISTANBUL

Pakistan on Monday demanded an end to the impunity of Israel, rejecting Tel Aviv’s decision to turn occupied West Bank areas into “state property.”

“Pakistan strongly condemns the latest attempt by the Israeli occupying power to convert areas of the Occupied West Bank into so-called state property, and to expand illegal settlement activities,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statement came after the Israeli government approved a proposal on Sunday to register large areas of the occupied West Bank as “state property” for the first time since the Israeli occupation of the territory in 1967.

Islamabad said that such steps are “in clear violation of international law,” as well as relevant UN resolutions, and “must be rejected by the international community.”

Israel’s “continued disregard for international law and its provocative actions undermine the prospects for a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the region,” the statement said.

Pakistan called on “the international community to take concrete measures to end Israeli impunity, and ensure respect for international law,” according to the statement.

Israel has intensified operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since launching its military campaign in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023. Palestinians view the escalation -- including killings, arrests, displacement and settlement expansion -- as a step toward formal annexation of the territory.

In a landmark opinion in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.