Saudi Arabia, Kuwait condemn Israeli move to designate West Bank land as 'state property'

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait condemned the Israeli decision to convert land in the occupied West Bank into "state property" under the authority of the occupation, according to statements issued on Monday by the Saudi and Kuwaiti foreign ministries on US social media company X.

The Saudi ministry expressed its "condemnation" of the plans aimed at imposing a "new legal and administrative reality" in the occupied West Bank, saying such measures would "undermine ongoing efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region."

"There is no Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories," the ministry said unequivocally, rejecting the illegal measures that are a "serious violation of international law" and undermine the two-state solution.

Separately, the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry, in a statement, condemned the Israeli decision and described the move as a "null and void decision," urging the international community to "deter those Israeli violations."

"It is absolutely unacceptable to impose non-Palestinian sovereignty over the occupied West Bank," the ministry said.

"Any decision to annex land in the occupied West Bank would be considered null and void and illegitimate, and would undermine international efforts aimed at achieving a just and comprehensive peace in line with Security Council resolutions and the two-state solution," the ministry stressed.

Kuwait reiterated its "principled and steadfast position" in supporting the Palestinian people's right to establish an independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

It also called on the international community to assume its "legal, moral and humanitarian responsibilities" to curb what it described as Israeli violations and to safeguard Palestinian rights while promoting security and stability in the region, the statement added.

Previously, Qatar also condemned Israel's decision to classify West Bank land as "state property," calling it an extension of what it described as Israel's "illegal" plans to strip the Palestinian people of their rights.

The statements came a day after the Israeli government approved a proposal allowing the seizure of Palestinian land in the West Bank by registering it as "state property," marking the first such step since 1967.

Israel's public broadcaster reported that the proposal was submitted by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Defense Minister Israel Katz.

Channel 7 reported that the measure includes opening land registration procedures that were previously frozen, canceling old Jordanian legislation, and disclosing land records that had remained confidential for decades.

Palestinians view the measures as a prelude to the formal annexation of the West Bank and as a step toward the de facto annexation of large parts of the territory, moves they say would undermine the two-state solution framework endorsed by the UN.