Qatar, Saudi Arabia condemn Israeli Knesset’s approval of West Bank annexation

The Israeli Knesset has passed a proposal paving the way for the annexation of the occupied West Bank, despite international law strictly prohibiting such actions. The move has drawn strong condemnation from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, who termed it a blatant violation of the historical and legal rights of the Palestinian people.

On Wednesday, the 120-member Knesset narrowly approved the proposal in a 25–24 vote. Three additional rounds of voting remain before the bill can be enacted into law. According to Al Jazeera, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party opposed the proposal.

The Knesset statement said the bill advances the preliminary phase “to apply the sovereignty of the State of Israel to the territories of Judea and Samaria (West Bank).”

If implemented, the annexation would violate United Nations resolutions and undermine the long-standing two-state solution.

The development comes days after US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Israel, where he reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the peace process and a ceasefire in Gaza.

However, the Knesset’s move is seen as jeopardizing the fragile truce in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s party warned that the vote could strain relations between Israel and the United States, as Washington has voiced opposition to Israel’s expansionist policies in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry and Hamas both denounced Israel’s attempt to assert sovereignty over Palestinian lands, calling it “illegitimate.”

Meanwhile Qatar and Saudi Arabia condemned the Knesset vote as a “flagrant breach of international law.” They reiterated that the future Palestinian state must be established along the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital.