Jakarta: Eight major Muslim-majority nations have welcomed the United Kingdom's (UK) move to restrict trade linked to illegal Israeli settlements, hoping it will spur similar action internationally against settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
According to Nam News Network, the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and the United Arab Emirates expressed support in a joint statement issued by Indonesia's Foreign Ministry. They hope that this decision will help mobilize the international community to take similar actions in line with international law and hold accountable settlement organizations and individuals engaged in illegal settlement activities.
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband informed Parliament about the UK's decision to ban imports of goods from illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and action against companies and individuals facilitating settlement expansion. Legislation for these measures is expected to be implemented within six to nine months.
The eight ministers also welcomed a joint statement by Canada, the UK, and 10 other European countries, confirming their intention to introduce national restrictions and/or support European restrictions on trade in goods with illegal settlements. The ministers encourage the international community to build on these steps and adopt concrete measures to end activities that support illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The European countries involved were Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. The eight ministers noted that the announced intentions align with international law, relevant United Nations resolutions, and the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion of July 19, 2024. They reiterated their call for Israel to rescind measures linked to settlement activities and those aimed at altering the geographic and demographic character of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The ministers also emphasized that Gaza is an integral part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and called for the full implementation of the United States President Donald Trump's Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict. This plan aims to address the humanitarian situation, facilitate reconstruction and recovery, and lay the foundations for lasting peace.
They reaffirmed that the only viable path to a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace is the implementation of the two-state solution, through an independent, sovereign, contiguous, and viable Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
