AhlulBayt News Agency: Foreign ministers from several Arab nations have condemned Israel’s decision to block their planned visit to the occupied West Bank, calling it an “arrogant” move.
Ministers from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and Turkey, led by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan, were scheduled to arrive in Ramallah on Sunday for a meeting with Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas.
This visit would have marked the highest-level Saudi diplomatic mission to the area since Israel occupied it in 1967.
However, on Friday, Israel announced that it would “not cooperate” with the Palestinian Authority’s plans to host the Saudi-led delegation.
In response, the ministers issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s move, saying it reflected the government’s “arrogance, disregard for international law, and illegitimate policies that continue to besiege the Palestinian people and their leadership.”
They accused Israel of trying to perpetuate the occupation while obstructing any progress toward a just and comprehensive peace.
Hussein Al Sheikh, deputy chair of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), reacted on X, calling Israel’s decision a “dangerous escalation” that demonstrated unprecedented arrogance and provocation.
He stated that discussions were underway among Arab nations on how best to respond to Israel’s actions.
Last month, Israeli forces fired near a diplomatic convoy traveling close to the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, sparking international outrage.
The convoy included diplomats from the European Union, the United Kingdom, Russia, and China. Israeli forces later claimed their soldiers had fired “warning shots” after the convoy allegedly deviated from an agreed route.
Israel’s decision to ban the Arab foreign ministers comes just days before an international conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia in New York, set to take place between June 17-20, focusing on Palestinian statehood.
Israel continues to face mounting pressure from the international community over its actions in Gaza, as well as its ongoing construction of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
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