8 Arab and Islamic countries welcome ban on settlement imports

Eight Arab and Islamic countries welcomed Britain's decision to ban imports of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory and impose restrictions on related services. This came in a joint statement by the foreign ministers of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Turkey, expressing hope that the British step would encourage other countries to take similar measures and hold accountable entities and individuals supporting settlement activity. The ministers reiterated their call on Israel to cancel settlement-related measures aimed at changing the geographic and demographic character of the occupied Palestinian territory, stressing that these practices contradict international law and UN resolutions, particularly Resolution 2334. The statement emphasized that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory, calling for the full and immediate implementation of US President Donald Trump's plan to end the conflict in Gaza, including addressing the humanitarian situation and supporting reconstruction. The eight countries affirmed that achieving a just and lasting peace requires the so-called two-state solution and the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The British step comes amid increasing international moves to impose restrictions on settlement-related trade, while the measures have sparked angry Israeli reactions.