Arab ministers condemn Israel 'ban' on planned West Bank visit

A ministerial delegation from several Arab countries condemned Israel on Saturday for what it described as an “interdiction” of a planned visit to the occupied West Bank, after an Israeli official said the country would “not cooperate” with the initiative.

Israel, which has occupied the Palestinian territory since 1967, controls access to its borders and airspace — meaning foreign diplomats require Israeli approval to enter.

In a joint statement, the delegation condemned “Israel’s decision to ban the committee’s visit to Ramallah and its meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas,” according to the Jordanian Foreign Ministry. The delegation is led by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and includes top diplomats from Jordan, Bahrain, Egypt and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

The group postponed the visit after Israel “refused to allow entry to the occupied West Bank by air,” the statement said. The delegation called the move a “blatant violation of Israel’s obligations as an occupying power” and said it demonstrated “disregard for international law.”

‘Provocative meeting’

An Israeli official had earlier said the country “will not cooperate” with the visit. “The Palestinian Authority, which still refuses to condemn the Oct. 7 massacre, was planning to host a provocative meeting in Ramallah to push forward the establishment of a Palestinian state,” the official said. “Such a state would undoubtedly become a terrorist state in the heart of the Land of Israel. Israel will not cooperate with such efforts.”

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Friday that the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank is “out of the question.”

Before the war in Gaza — which erupted after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel—Saudi Arabia had begun talks with Washington that included a potential normalization deal with Israel. But Riyadh has since conditioned any such agreement on the establishment of a Palestinian state, effectively stalling progress amid the ongoing conflict.

‘From normalization to confrontation’

Firas Maksad, a fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, said the move by Israel shows “how far Saudi-Israeli ties have shifted from normalization to diplomatic confrontation.” He noted that Riyadh is no longer pursuing normalization to enable Palestinian statehood, but is now seeking to create that path “through an international coalition backing Palestinian aspirations.”

Saudi Arabia and France are scheduled to co-host an international conference at the United Nations in New York in June to revive the two-state solution.

Meanwhile, Israel this week announced the construction of a “Jewish Israeli state” in the West Bank and the creation of 22 new settlements — moves considered illegal under international law. Israeli forces have also intensified operations in Gaza in an effort to seize full control of the enclave and secure the release of remaining hostages.

The Oct. 7 attack killed 1,218 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data. Of the 251 people abducted by Hamas, 57 remain in Gaza, including at least 34 confirmed dead, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel’s military response has killed more than 54,381 Palestinians, the majority civilians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The figures are considered credible by the United Nations.

On Friday, Israel issued an ultimatum to Hamas to accept the latest U.S. cease-fire and hostage deal or face “annihilation.” U.S. President Donald Trump said a cease-fire was “very close.”