Several Arab and Islamic countries on Monday strongly condemned Israel’s recent steps aimed at tightening its control over the occupied West Bank and expanding Jewish settlements.

In a brief statement, Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh called on the Arab League Council, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the United Nations Security Council to convene emergency meetings to address what he termed the Israeli government’s “dangerous decisions.”

He urged the international community to adopt a unified position to denounce the measures and press for their immediate reversal.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of eight Arab and Muslim countries sharply criticised what they described as “illegal” Israeli actions designed to entrench settlement activities in the West Bank.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar reiterated that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories.

They warned against what they called Israel’s ongoing expansionist policies and illegal practices in the West Bank, expressing their “absolute rejection” of the measures.

The ministers said the Israeli decisions represent a clear violation of international law and pose a serious threat to the two-state solution, while also undermining efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.

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The statement urged the international community to meet its legal and moral obligations and take action to compel Israel to halt what it described as a dangerous escalation in the occupied West Bank.

On Sunday, Israel’s security cabinet approved a series of decisions aimed at changing the legal and civil framework of the West Bank and reinforcing Israeli control over the territory.

The measures include repealing a law that banned land sales to Jews, removing the requirement for special permits for such transactions and reviving a state land acquisition committee that had been inactive for nearly two decades.

Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war. The settlements built there and the continuing military occupation are widely regarded as illegal under international law.

Palestinian officials have repeatedly warned that expanding settlements and extending Israeli civilian authority in the West Bank severely undermine prospects for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.