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Eight Muslim Countries Condemn Israel’s ‘Illegal’ West Bank Control Measures

Israeli soldiers stand guard during a weekly settlers' tour in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 7, 2026. (Reuters)
Israeli soldiers stand guard during a weekly settlers' tour in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 7, 2026. (Reuters)
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Eight Muslim Countries Condemn Israel’s ‘Illegal’ West Bank Control Measures

Israeli soldiers stand guard during a weekly settlers' tour in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 7, 2026. (Reuters)
Israeli soldiers stand guard during a weekly settlers' tour in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 7, 2026. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia and seven other Muslim countries on Monday condemned new Israeli measures to tighten control of the West Bank and pave the way for more settlements on the occupied Palestinian territory.

Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt and Türkiye "condemned in the strongest terms the illegal Israeli decisions and measures aimed at imposing unlawful Israeli sovereignty", a Saudi Foreign Ministry statement said.

Israel's security cabinet approved a series of steps on Sunday that would make it easier for settlers in the occupied West Bank to buy land while granting Israeli authorities more enforcement powers over Palestinians, Israeli media reported.

The West Bank is among the territories that the 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 Palestinian Authority (PA).

Citing statements by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel ‌Katz, Israeli ‌news sites Ynet and Haaretz said ‌the ⁠measures included scrapping ‌decades-old regulations that prevent Jewish private citizens buying land in the West Bank.

They were also reported to include allowing Israeli authorities to administer some religious sites, and expand supervision and enforcement in areas under PA administration in matters of environmental hazards, water offences and damage to archaeological sites.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said ⁠the new measures were dangerous, illegal and tantamount to de-facto annexation.

The Israeli ministers ‌did not immediately respond to requests for ‍comment.

The new measures come three ‍days before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to ‍meet in Washington with US President Donald Trump.

In his statement, Abbas urged Trump and the UN Security Council to intervene.

Jordan’s foreign ministry condemned the decision, which it said was “aimed at imposing illegal Israeli sovereignty” and entrenching settlements. The Hamas group called on Palestinians in the West Bank to “intensify the confrontation with the occupation and its settlers.”

Trump has ruled out Israeli annexation of the West Bank, but his administration has not sought to curb Israel's accelerated settlement building, which the Palestinians say denies them a potential state ⁠by eating away at its territory.

Netanyahu, who is facing an election later this year, deems the establishment of any Palestinian state a security threat.

His ruling coalition includes many pro-settler members who want Israel to annex the West Bank, land captured in the 1967 Middle East war to which Israel cites biblical and historical ties.

The United Nations' highest court said in a non-binding advisory opinion in 2024 that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements there is illegal and should ‌be ended as soon as possible. Israel disputes this view.

The West Bank is divided between an Israeli-controlled section where settlements are located and sections equaling 40% of the territory where the Palestinian Authority has autonomy.

Palestinians are not permitted to sell land privately to Israelis. Settlers can buy homes on land controlled by Israel’s government.

More than 700,000 Israelis live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 from Jordan and sought by the Palestinians for a future state. The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in these areas to be illegal and an obstacle to peace.

Smotrich, previously a firebrand settler leader and now finance minister, has been granted cabinet-level authority over settlement policies and vowed to double the settler population in the West Bank.

In December, Israel’s Cabinet approved a proposal for 19 new Jewish settlements in the West Bank as the government pushes ahead with a construction binge that further threatens the possibility of a Palestinian state. And Israel has cleared the final hurdle before starting construction on a contentious settlement project near Jerusalem that would effectively cut the West Bank in two, according to a government tender reported in January.

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Arab World

Iraq Closes Sheeb Border Crossing with Iran to Check Security

Security personnel stand near the Shalamsheh border crossing between Iraq and Iran, after Iraqi authorities ordered its closure as a precautionary measure following the latest drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, in Basra, Iraq, September 12, 2026. (Reuters)
Security personnel stand near the Shalamsheh border crossing between Iraq and Iran, after Iraqi authorities ordered its closure as a precautionary measure following the latest drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, in Basra, Iraq, September 12, 2026. (Reuters)
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Iraq Closes Sheeb Border Crossing with Iran to Check Security

Security personnel stand near the Shalamsheh border crossing between Iraq and Iran, after Iraqi authorities ordered its closure as a precautionary measure following the latest drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, in Basra, Iraq, September 12, 2026. (Reuters)
Security personnel stand near the Shalamsheh border crossing between Iraq and Iran, after Iraqi authorities ordered its closure as a precautionary measure following the latest drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, in Basra, Iraq, September 12, 2026. (Reuters)

Iraq has closed the busy Sheeb border crossing with Iran to review security and install detection equipment to stop the smuggling of prohibited materials, ‌an Iraqi ‌border official said ‌on ⁠Wednesday.

Sheeb would be ⁠closed to passengers, vehicles and commercial trucks until further notice, two other sources at the crossing said.

Iraq ⁠ordered the closure ‌of ‌another crossing with Iran, Shalamsheh, ‌in September as a ‌precaution after drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, two security sources said at ‌the time. Riyadh said the drones had been ⁠launched ⁠from Iraq.

The current security measures at Sheeb are weak and inadequate, the Iraqi border crossings official told Reuters.

Arab World

Arab League Chief Condemns Israeli Attacks on South Lebanon, Urges Action

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy listens to a Lebanese Army officer pointing out areas occupied by Israeli forces in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, South Lebanon, alongside Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed (AP). 
Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy listens to a Lebanese Army officer pointing out areas occupied by Israeli forces in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, South Lebanon, alongside Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed (AP). 
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Arab League Chief Condemns Israeli Attacks on South Lebanon, Urges Action

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy listens to a Lebanese Army officer pointing out areas occupied by Israeli forces in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, South Lebanon, alongside Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed (AP). 
Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy listens to a Lebanese Army officer pointing out areas occupied by Israeli forces in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, South Lebanon, alongside Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed (AP). 

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy condemned Israeli attacks on South Lebanon as “unacceptable,” calling for concrete Arab action to support the country, strengthen its army and help displaced residents return home.

Fahmy made the remarks during a visit to the southern city of Tyre, where he met senior Lebanese Army officers at the Benoit Barakat barracks, accompanied by Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed.

Fahmy said he had chosen Lebanon as one of his first foreign destinations since taking office to see firsthand the challenges facing its people.

His visit to the south, he explained, was meant to reassure residents that the Arab world and the international community recognized their suffering and were prepared to provide tangible support.

He pointed to a September resolution by the Arab League’s ministerial council that addressed Lebanon’s crisis and its underlying causes, particularly repeated Israeli attacks on civilians and infrastructure.

After touring the town of Zawtar and the city of Nabatieh, Fahmy described the destruction he witnessed as “distressing.”

He accused Israel of systematically demolishing residential areas, seizing land and seeking to displace civilians, potentially paving the way for further occupation.

Despite the devastation, he expressed confidence that Lebanese residents would remain attached to their land.

The Arab League was working with the Lebanese government to explore reconstruction efforts and ways to restore stability, he added.

While rebuilding would require action across several sectors, Fahmy stressed that Arab solidarity could not be limited to statements of condemnation.

“This is the beginning of a sustained process, not the end of the road,” he said, reaffirming the League’s commitment to Lebanon.

Army seeks support, post-UNIFIL arrangements

Brig. Gen. Nicolas Tabet, commander of the Lebanese Army’s South Litani Sector, welcomed the visit as a sign of Arab solidarity at a time of mounting security and humanitarian challenges.

He said Israeli attacks had left widespread destruction and displaced thousands of Lebanese, while continued occupation and security threats prevented families from returning safely to their villages.

The situation was also hampering the army’s deployment to the internationally recognized border.

Tabet called for Arab and international pressure to halt Israeli attacks, secure a full withdrawal from Lebanese territory and uphold the country’s sovereignty.

Despite difficult conditions and limited resources, the army remained committed to its duties, he said, urging the Arab League to mobilize diplomatic support, strengthen the military and help rebuild the south.

He also called for lasting security arrangements after the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ends.

Such arrangements, developed with the UN and international partners, would be essential to preventing a security vacuum and implementing Security Council Resolution 1701.

Describing Fahmy’s visit as a rare and welcome gesture, Tabet said it offered reassurance that Lebanon had not been left to face its challenges alone.

Arab World

End of UNIFIL Mission Impacts Hundreds of Jobs in South Lebanon

Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Major General Diodato Abagnara of the Italian Army reviews the troops at the UNIFIL base, near Mansouri, Southern Lebanon, September 19, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Major General Diodato Abagnara of the Italian Army reviews the troops at the UNIFIL base, near Mansouri, Southern Lebanon, September 19, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
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End of UNIFIL Mission Impacts Hundreds of Jobs in South Lebanon

Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Major General Diodato Abagnara of the Italian Army reviews the troops at the UNIFIL base, near Mansouri, Southern Lebanon, September 19, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Major General Diodato Abagnara of the Italian Army reviews the troops at the UNIFIL base, near Mansouri, Southern Lebanon, September 19, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

As UNIFIL’s mandate in Lebanon draws to a close, the implications of its withdrawal extend beyond military and security operations to the labor market in southern Lebanon, where the mission’s decades-long presence has sustained hundreds of jobs and supported local businesses that depend on its demand for goods and services.

As job cuts begin ahead of the withdrawal process, which is set to gather pace at the end of this year, concerns are mounting over the economic and social impact on employees and their families, as well as on small and medium-sized businesses that depend on spending generated by the international force’s presence.

400 Local Employees Work for UNIFIL

According to UNIFIL spokesperson Candice Ardell, the mission currently employs around 400 local staff, most of whom are based in southern Lebanon, while some positions are based in Beirut.

In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, Ardell said local employees perform a wide range of duties, from the technical work required to support the mission to security, translation, media, political and civil affairs, among other functions.

Most of these positions are based in the south. Many employees live in the area, while others commute to work from elsewhere, she added.

Ardell denied that job cuts had begun as part of UNIFIL’s force reduction and withdrawal process, explaining that the process was expected to start after Dec. 31, 2026.

Families Depend on UNIFIL Salaries

In the border town of Rmeish, 85 families still have members employed directly by UNIFIL on a permanent basis, earning monthly salaries on which they and their families depend for their livelihoods.

Milad Alam, a former Rmeish mayor, told Asharq Al-Awsat in an earlier interview that around 250 other families also have members working for companies contracted by UNIFIL, adding that they, too, stand to lose their monthly sources of income.

Researcher Mohammad Shamseddine said the number of people employed by or contracted to UNIFIL had fallen significantly, noting that the current workforce was well below the roughly 1,200 employees it had previously numbered.

Annual Losses Estimated at $45 Million to $55 Million

Economist Jassem Ajaka warned that UNIFIL’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon would have economic and financial repercussions extending well beyond the south, affecting the Lebanese economy as a whole. The fallout would include reduced foreign currency inflows, job losses and weaker trade and investment, while placing additional pressure on the state treasury.

In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, Ajaka said UNIFIL’s annual budget stood at about $553 million, estimating that the withdrawal would result in a direct loss of $45 million to $55 million a year in foreign currency inflows, as international forces cease spending locally on contracts with domestic suppliers, restaurants, shops and supply chains.

Ajaka estimated that UNIFIL’s withdrawal would eliminate $15 million to $22 million in annual wages for Lebanese staff, whose average net annual compensation ranges from $15,000 to $25,000.

He estimated that UNIFIL’s withdrawal would add $25 million to $40 million in annual costs for the Lebanese treasury, as the Lebanese army takes over expenses previously covered through cooperation with the international force, putting further pressure on public finances and potentially widening the primary budget deficit.

The economist concluded saying that the real estate sector would be among the hardest hit, particularly in Naqoura, Tyre, Marjayoun and Bint Jbeil. The termination of hundreds of rental contracts held by UNIFIL’s civilian and military personnel could result in annual losses of $10 million to $18 million. He also warned that commercial and residential property values in affected areas could fall by 25% to 45%.