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Politics
Apr 11, 2026

OIC denounces Israel’s secret approval of 34 new West Bank settlements as breach of international law

AI Summary
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned Israel’s clandestine approval of 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, labeling the move a violation of international law and a threat to the two‑state solution. The decision, taken by Israel’s security cabinet in early April, adds to 68 settlements approved since the Netanyahu government took office in 2022 and has drawn criticism from Turkey and Palestinian authorities.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) issued a strong rebuke on Friday after Israel’s security cabinet secretly approved 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, describing the action as a direct contravention of international law.

Israeli rights organization Peace Now disclosed that the decision was made in early April, a fact later corroborated by multiple Israeli media outlets. The OIC’s general secretariat emphasized that Israel, as the occupying power, has no sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Al‑Quds (Jerusalem), and that any measures intended to alter the region’s geographic or demographic reality are null and void under international statutes.

According to the OIC statement, the approval of these settlements adds to 68 settlements already sanctioned since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right‑wing coalition assumed power in 2022. The body warned that the accelerating settlement policy, coupled with land confiscation and settler‑related violence, jeopardizes the viability of a two‑state solution and infringes on the rights of the Palestinian people.

Turkey echoed the OIC’s condemnation, labeling the move a “serious violation of international law and UN resolutions.” Meanwhile, Israel’s own Channel 24 reported that the security cabinet’s decision was taken “secretly” and marked the largest number of settlements ever approved in a single session.

Ynet cited military chief Eyal Zamir, who warned that the Israel Defense Forces could “collapse” under the strain of expanding settlement demands, including the retroactive legalization of dozens of outposts. Of the 34 approved sites, 10 are existing outposts that were previously illegal under Israeli law but will now be legitimized; the remaining 24 are slated for construction. All settlements in the occupied West Bank are deemed illegal under international law.

The decision has not been formally published by any Israeli governmental body. Since the 1967 occupation, more than 500,000 Israeli settlers now reside in the West Bank alongside roughly three million Palestinians. Settlement expansion has been a consistent policy of successive Israeli governments, but it has accelerated markedly under the Netanyahu administration, especially after the Gaza war that began in October 2023 and has resulted in over 72,000 Palestinian deaths.

By highlighting the legal and demographic implications of the new settlements, the OIC aims to rally international opposition and reinforce the call for a negotiated two‑state solution, warning that continued expansion could further destabilize an already volatile region.