Arab League Chief Warns Israeli Settlement Policies Are Destroying Two-State Prospects
Nabil Fahmy warns Israeli settlement policies undermine the two-state solution after meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman, calling for urgent Arab and international action.
The Arab League secretary-general, Nabil Fahmy, met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman and warned that Israeli settlement policies are eroding the prospects for a two-state solution and undermining regional stability. Fahmy said he had been prevented from visiting Ramallah by Israeli authorities and listened to the Palestinian leadership’s priorities for the coming period. He stressed that the intensification of settlements, displacement measures and violence by settlers are creating a de facto annexation that threatens the viability of a future Palestinian state. The meeting served as a platform to discuss concrete steps Arab states and international partners should take to halt these developments.
Diplomatic meeting held in Amman after Ramallah visit blocked
Fahmy’s encounter with Abbas took place in Jordan’s capital after Israeli authorities denied him entry to Ramallah, according to the Arab League statement. The secretary-general used the Amman meeting to receive a detailed briefing on Palestinian priorities and the immediate challenges facing the Palestinian Authority. Palestinian officials outlined the humanitarian and governance strains caused by movement restrictions, economic pressure, and security incidents linked to settler activity. Both sides agreed on the need to elevate the issue within Arab forums and to coordinate with sympathetic international actors.
Arab League warns against de facto annexation through settlement expansion
In a statement issued by the Arab League, Fahmy cautioned that the accumulation of settlement activity, forced displacement and sieges of urban areas amounts to practical steps toward annexation. He warned that these measures, if left unchecked, would permanently alter the facts on the ground and close the window for negotiated statehood based on 1967 borders. The secretary-general urged member states to present a unified diplomatic front to challenge policies that change the legal and demographic status of the occupied West Bank. He also called for clearer international consequences to deter further encroachment.
Financial measures and tax revenues highlighted as urgent priorities
Fahmy emphasised the need to translate political support into material assistance, notably by helping the Palestinian Authority cope with the seizure or withholding of tax revenues. He urged Arab capitals to provide targeted financial backing to stabilise public services and sustain governance in the occupied territories. Such support, he argued, is critical to prevent a collapse of basic institutions and to maintain conditions conducive to any future negotiations. Abbas highlighted the immediate fiscal pressures facing the Palestinian Authority and sought commitments to offset shortfalls.
Call for coordinated Arab and international action
The Arab League chief urged prompt coordination between Arab states and international partners to confront policies that jeopardise peace prospects, proposing diplomatic, economic and legal measures. Fahmy insisted that isolated statements were insufficient and that a calibrated package of measures would be required to compel a change in course. He recommended increased engagement at multilateral fora to place the issue on the international agenda and to mobilise support for Palestinian rights. Both leaders underscored the necessity of keeping the Palestinian question central to regional diplomacy.
Palestinian role in any Gaza arrangements reaffirmed
Fahmy reaffirmed that the Palestinian Authority must remain the principal interlocutor in any future arrangements regarding Gaza, stressing the territory’s integral status within a future independent Palestinian state. He reiterated the Arab League position that the Palestinian state should be established on the borders of 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital. The secretary-general warned that sidelining the authority would complicate recovery and governance in Gaza and undermine prospects for a sustainable political settlement. Both Fahmy and Abbas voiced the need for inclusive planning that recognises Palestinian sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Amman meeting marks a renewed push by the Arab League to convert diplomatic concern into concrete measures that protect Palestinian institutions, deter settlement expansion and preserve the framework of a two-state solution. Both sides departed with a shared sense of urgency and a request for immediate follow-up consultations among Arab capitals and with international partners to translate political positions into practical support.
