Israeli settlements

Children peep from the window of a building which was slighty burned following a reported attack by Israeli settlers in a residential area on the outskirts of Ramallah city in the occupied West Bank, on Nov. 4, 2024. (Photo by Zain JAAFAR / AFP)

Türkiye has condemned Israel's plans to recognize settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank legally.

"The decisions taken by Israel to 'legalize' some settlement outposts and to 'approve' new housing units in the occupied West Bank are flagrant violations of international law," said a Foreign Ministry statement issued on July 5.

Israel's announcement to purportedly legalize five settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank and the issuance of tenders for thousands of illegal housing units in the area face global condemnations.

In a post published on his official X account on June 29, U.N. Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland denounced the measure as "deeply concerning."

The United States has no jurisdiction or right to "give" the Golan Heights to Israel, Turkey's president said on March 26.

Turkey slammed Israel over the approval of building nearly 800 new housing units in the illegal settlements in occupied East Jerusalem on Nov. 11.

Israel approved building permits on Jan. 22 for hundreds of homes in three East Jerusalem settlements, two days after U.S. President Donald Trump took office, expecting him to row back on the last administration's criticism of such projects. 

Turkey condemned Israel’s decision to expand its settlements further inside occupied East Jerusalem.

Israel will never agree to limit its construction activity in annexed east Jerusalem, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Nov. 16.
      
"One thing should be clear: we will never accept the definition of building in Jewish neighbourhoods of Jerusalem as settlement activity," he said at a news conference with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
      

An Israeli planning committee on Nov. 12 approved plans to build 200 homes in a Jewish settlement neighbourhood of annexed east Jerusalem, a city councillor told AFP.

Arab east Jerusalem has been shaken by months of clashes and city councillor Yosef Pepe Alalu told AFP that plans to build in the Ramot neighbourhood would cause further tensions.

Israel announced plans on Aug. 31 to expropriate 400 hectares (988 acres) of Palestinian land in the Bethlehem area in the south of the occupied West Bank, the military said.

"On the instructions of the political echelon... 4,000 dunams at (the settlement of) Gevaot is declared as state land," the army said, adding that concerned parties have 45 days to appeal.