Various foreign ministers condemn Israel over West Bank moves, statement says

ISTANBUL, Feb 24 (Reuters) - ‌The foreign ​ministers ​of Brazil, France, Spain, Turkey and various other states condemned Israeli decisions that they ‌said introduce sweeping extensions to unlawful Israeli control ⁠over the West Bank.

"Changes are wide-ranging, reclassifying Palestinian land as ‌so-called Israeli ‘state land’, accelerating ‌illegal settlement activity, and further entrenching Israeli administration," said the joint statement, issued late on Monday ​by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

Other countries to sign the statement included Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar, ⁠as well as the heads of the Arab League and Organisation of ​Islamic Cooperation.

Israel's cabinet on February 15 approved further measures to tighten Israel's control over ​the occupied West Bank and ‌make it easier for settlers to buy land, a move Palestinians called a "de-facto ⁠annexation".

The West Bank is among the territories that Palestinians seek for a future independent state. Much of it is ⁠under Israeli military control, with limited Palestinian self-rule in some ​areas run by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.

The joint statement said the settlements, and decisions designed to further them, are "a flagrant ‌violation of international law" and a step towards "unacceptable de facto annexation".

It said they ‌also undermine the ongoing efforts for peace and stability ⁠in the region ‌and threaten any meaningful ​prospect of regional integration.

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Stephen ‌Coates)

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