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Egypt, Jordan Urge Tougher Global Action Against Israeli Settlements
(MENAFN) Egypt and Jordan on Tuesday praised new British restrictions on trade tied to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, pressing the international community to escalate pressure to halt settlement expansion and safeguard prospects for a two-state solution.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry called the UK's decision to prohibit trade in goods and select services linked to the settlements a significant move underscoring adherence to international law and relevant UN resolutions. Cairo said the restrictions would help push back against illegal settlement activity and efforts to reshape conditions on the ground in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
"Continued settlement expansion undermines the territorial unity of Palestinian land and the possibility of establishing an independent, viable Palestinian state," the ministry said.
Cairo reaffirmed that lasting peace hinges on ending the Israeli occupation and creating an independent Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967, borders, with East Jerusalem serving as its capital. Egypt also voiced backing for a joint declaration issued by foreign ministers from 12 nations — Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK — reaffirming commitment to the two-state framework and detailing national and European-level trade restrictions targeting settlement goods.
Egypt welcomed the shift from rhetorical opposition to concrete action and called on other nations to follow suit.
Jordan demands accountability
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi echoed the sentiment, describing the UK measures as a response to unlawful Israeli conduct that entrenches occupation, erodes the two-state solution, and perpetuates injustice.
"We thank the British government for standing up for what is right," Safadi said in a statement.
He extended thanks to Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden for signaling similar action, while recognizing steps already taken by Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium and other nations.
Safadi argued that illegal settlements, violence carried out by Israeli occupiers, land seizures, mistreatment of Palestinians, and constraints on the Palestinian economy stand in the way of peace and security. He also cautioned against any breach of the longstanding legal and historical status quo governing Jerusalem's Muslim and Christian holy sites.
"There is only one path to a just and lasting peace that guarantees security for all: Ending the unlawful occupation of Palestine and implementing the two-state solution," he said.
He called on the international community to move decisively against Israeli policies that jeopardize peace efforts and the broader right of regional populations to live securely.
"The Israeli government must face real consequences for its radical policies and violations of international law," Safadi warned, adding that Israel must not be permitted to drag the region into further conflict and suffering.
The remarks come as international pressure mounts over settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank, with a growing number of European governments weighing or enacting trade restrictions tied to the settlements.
Earlier Tuesday, foreign ministers from the same 12 countries jointly announced new limits on trade in settlement-linked goods, part of a broader statement reaffirming support for the two-state solution. The announcement followed remarks from British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who confirmed the UK would ban imports from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, citing what he termed "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians.
Since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government took office in late 2022, it has authorized 104 new illegal settlements and seen 160 agricultural outposts established across the West Bank, Palestinian officials say.
In the first half of 2026 alone, Israeli occupiers carried out 3,488 attacks in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission. Those attacks killed 17 Palestinians, displaced 26 Bedouin and pastoral communities in whole or in part, and accompanied the creation of 42 additional illegal outposts, the commission reported.
Roughly 750,000 Israeli occupiers currently reside across 194 illegal settlements and 400 illegal outposts throughout the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Palestinian data shows.
Violence by occupiers and Israeli military raids in the West Bank have intensified alongside Israel's ongoing war in Gaza, which began in October 2023. Israel has occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 1967 — a presence the international community regards as illegal under international law, a characterization Israel disputes.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry called the UK's decision to prohibit trade in goods and select services linked to the settlements a significant move underscoring adherence to international law and relevant UN resolutions. Cairo said the restrictions would help push back against illegal settlement activity and efforts to reshape conditions on the ground in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
"Continued settlement expansion undermines the territorial unity of Palestinian land and the possibility of establishing an independent, viable Palestinian state," the ministry said.
Cairo reaffirmed that lasting peace hinges on ending the Israeli occupation and creating an independent Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967, borders, with East Jerusalem serving as its capital. Egypt also voiced backing for a joint declaration issued by foreign ministers from 12 nations — Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK — reaffirming commitment to the two-state framework and detailing national and European-level trade restrictions targeting settlement goods.
Egypt welcomed the shift from rhetorical opposition to concrete action and called on other nations to follow suit.
Jordan demands accountability
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi echoed the sentiment, describing the UK measures as a response to unlawful Israeli conduct that entrenches occupation, erodes the two-state solution, and perpetuates injustice.
"We thank the British government for standing up for what is right," Safadi said in a statement.
He extended thanks to Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden for signaling similar action, while recognizing steps already taken by Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium and other nations.
Safadi argued that illegal settlements, violence carried out by Israeli occupiers, land seizures, mistreatment of Palestinians, and constraints on the Palestinian economy stand in the way of peace and security. He also cautioned against any breach of the longstanding legal and historical status quo governing Jerusalem's Muslim and Christian holy sites.
"There is only one path to a just and lasting peace that guarantees security for all: Ending the unlawful occupation of Palestine and implementing the two-state solution," he said.
He called on the international community to move decisively against Israeli policies that jeopardize peace efforts and the broader right of regional populations to live securely.
"The Israeli government must face real consequences for its radical policies and violations of international law," Safadi warned, adding that Israel must not be permitted to drag the region into further conflict and suffering.
The remarks come as international pressure mounts over settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank, with a growing number of European governments weighing or enacting trade restrictions tied to the settlements.
Earlier Tuesday, foreign ministers from the same 12 countries jointly announced new limits on trade in settlement-linked goods, part of a broader statement reaffirming support for the two-state solution. The announcement followed remarks from British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who confirmed the UK would ban imports from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, citing what he termed "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians.
Since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government took office in late 2022, it has authorized 104 new illegal settlements and seen 160 agricultural outposts established across the West Bank, Palestinian officials say.
In the first half of 2026 alone, Israeli occupiers carried out 3,488 attacks in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission. Those attacks killed 17 Palestinians, displaced 26 Bedouin and pastoral communities in whole or in part, and accompanied the creation of 42 additional illegal outposts, the commission reported.
Roughly 750,000 Israeli occupiers currently reside across 194 illegal settlements and 400 illegal outposts throughout the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Palestinian data shows.
Violence by occupiers and Israeli military raids in the West Bank have intensified alongside Israel's ongoing war in Gaza, which began in October 2023. Israel has occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 1967 — a presence the international community regards as illegal under international law, a characterization Israel disputes.
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