UN urges reversal of West Bank plans

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Israel to reverse its "unlawful" expansion in the West Bank amid concerns the current trajectory is hindering the prospects of a negotiated two-state solution.

In a message delivered by UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric at a briefing on Monday, Guterres said he was gravely concerned over the reported decision of the Israeli security cabinet to authorize a series of administrative and enforcement measures in the West Bank.

On Sunday, Israel's security cabinet approved a series of measures that would broaden Israel's control over the West Bank, which is already deemed illegal under international law.

The UN chief warned that the current trajectory on the ground, including this decision, "is eroding the prospects for the two-state solution".

"He reiterates that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and their associated regime and infrastructure, have no legal validity and are in flagrant violation of international law, including relevant United Nations resolutions," said Dujarric.

"The secretary-general calls on Israel to reverse these measures and on all parties to preserve the only path to lasting peace, a negotiated two-state solution, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions and international law," said Dujarric.

Among the latest developments, an Israeli attack on a residential building in Gaza City killed four Palestinians in another violation of the October ceasefire, Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday.

Israeli forces were also reported to have raided several homes in Bethlehem and the town of Sa'ir, northeast of Hebron, where reports said the military fired live ammunition, stun grenades, and tear gas at Palestinian youths.

Raids were also reported in Dura, south of Hebron, while a young Palestinian was said to have been arrested at the American University housing area, south of Jenin.

A White House official reportedly reiterated that United States President Donald Trump was opposed to Israel's annexation of the West Bank, according to Reuters.

"A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration's goal to achieve peace in the region," the official was quoted as saying.

This was not the first time the US administration had publicly rejected Israel's annexation of the West Bank.

Last October, Trump reiterated in a media interview that annexation will not happen because "I gave my word to the Arab countries". Trump also said then that Israel "would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened".

Move criticized

The latest moves by Israel were widely criticized by Arab and Muslim-majority countries, as well as US allies like the United Kingdom and the European Union.

A spokesperson for the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office said it condemned the Israeli security cabinet's decision to expand control over the West Bank.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon criticized Guterres for referring to "half a million Israeli citizens living in Judea and Samaria as a 'violation of international law'".

"Mr Secretary-General, it's time you realized that we are here to stay. The history of the Jewish people is full of attempts to detach the Jewish people of Israel from the Land of Israel. It didn't happen in the past, and it will not happen in the future," Danon wrote in a post on X.

Hadi Rahmat Purnama, an assistant professor of international law and chair of the Center for International Law Studies at the Faculty of Law at Jakarta's Universitas Indonesia, called Danon's remarks "misleading" regarding the right of self-determination of the Palestinian people.

"The UN Secretary-General, the UN Security Council, and the International Court of Justice maintain that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are a violation of international law," Purnama told China Daily.

"This is primarily based on Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies," he added.

Meanwhile, Ali Shaath, head of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, or NCAG, told Egypt's state-run Al Qahera News channel on Monday that the group is awaiting a meeting to be organized by the Board of Peace to confirm pledges about funding relief and reconstruction efforts.

The NCAG commenced work in mid-January from the Egyptian capital, Cairo, but has yet to begin operating within Gaza. The group said "technical issues" were preventing them from entering the enclave through the Rafah crossing.

US news outlet Axios had earlier reported that the White House is planning a leaders' meeting for the Board of Peace on Feb 19.