Ankara says Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territories, calling decision ‘null and void’

ISTANBUL

Türkiye on Sunday strongly condemned Israel's new decision on land registration in the occupied West Bank, calling it a violation of international law.

Earlier Sunday, the Israeli government approved a proposal to register vast areas of the occupied West Bank as “state property,” the first such measure since Israel occupied the territory in 1967.

Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the move aims to impose Israel’s “authority over the occupied West Bank and expand settlement activities."

"This step, which seeks to forcibly displace the Palestinian people from their land and accelerate Israel's unlawful annexation efforts, constitutes a clear violation of international law and is null and void," the ministry said.

"Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories," the ministry added, saying that the expansionist policies pursued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government undermine peace efforts and damage prospects for a two-state solution.

Türkiye called on the international community to take a firm stance against Israeli attempts to create facts on the ground.

The ministry said Türkiye will continue to support efforts to "establish an independent, sovereign and contiguous" Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported that the proposal was submitted by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Defense Minister Israel Katz.

“The initial goal is the gradual settlement of 15% of Area C by 2030,” daily Israel Hayom said ahead of the government decision.

Under the Oslo II Accord signed in 1995, Area A is under full Palestinian control, Area B is under Palestinian civil control and Israeli security control, while Area C, accounting for about 61% of the West Bank, remains under full Israeli control.

The Oslo II Accord limits land registration by the Palestinian Authority to Areas A and B, while prohibiting it in Area C.

The move was part of a series of measures approved by Israel’s Security Cabinet last week aimed at expanding illegal settlement building and increasing Tel Aviv’s control of the occupied West Bank.

According to Israeli media, the measures include repealing a law that barred the sale of land in the West Bank to illegal Israeli settlers, 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.

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. Anadolu Agency