UAE condemns Israeli West Bank annexation push as 'serious escalation'

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday strongly condemned recent statements by Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin calling for Israel to extend sovereignty over the occupied West Bank, calling them "provocative and unacceptable."

Levin made the comments during a July 2 meeting with settlement leader Yossi Dagan, stating, "The time for sovereignty has come" according to the Times of Israel.

In an official statement, the UAE Foreign Ministry said Levin's remarks "constitute a serious escalation and a blatant violation of resolutions on international legitimacy."

The statement emphasized, "the UAE's categorical rejection of all provocative statements and measures aimed at altering the legal status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory."

Abu Dhabi also stressed "the need to support all regional and international efforts to advance the peace process in the Middle East, and end illegal practices that undermine the establishment of an independent Palestinian state."

The ministry reaffirmed that the UAE is "steadfast in its commitment to reinforcing peace and justice, and safeguarding the legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people."

As of the end of 2024, approximately 770,000 illegal Israeli settlers lived in the West Bank, across 180 settlements and 256 outposts-including 138 classified as agricultural or pastoral, according to Palestinian reports.

Israeli government data show that illegal settlers staged 414 attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank in the first half of this year, up 30% from 2024.

Since the start of Israel's assault on Gaza in October 2023, at least 57,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and illegal settlers, with 1,000 killed and 7,000 wounded in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) last July declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.