ISTANBUL

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Monday expressed its “absolute rejection” of Israeli measures aimed at changing the legal status of the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.

In a statement, the Jeddah-based grouping condemned “in the strongest terms the occupation cabinet’s approval of a series of decisions to impose a new reality through colonial settlement and change the legal status of the occupied Palestinian territory, including Al-Quds Al-Sharif.”

“Israel’s settlement policy constitutes a war crime and a flagrant violation of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions,” the OIC said.

It renewed its call on the international community, “especially the Security Council, to shoulder its responsibilities and take immediate action to put an end to all crimes and violations committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people, their land, and their holy sites.”

On Sunday, Israel’s Security Cabinet ordered the repealing of a law barring the sale of Palestinian land to Jews in the West Bank, unsealing land ownership records, and transferring building permit authority in a Hebron settlement bloc from the Palestinian municipality to Israel’s civil administration.

The measures also expand Israeli oversight and enforcement into areas classified as Area A and Area B, citing alleged violations related to unlicensed construction, water issues, and damage to archaeological and environmental sites.

The expansion would allow demolitions and seizures of Palestinian property even in areas administered civilly and security-wise by the Palestinian Authority.

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