ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday backed measures announced by several countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Sweden, against illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, hoping that these steps would send a clear message of rejection of Israel's illegal actions in Palestine.

The UK, France and Canada this week announced their plans to block imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the latest in a series of actions targeting Israel's settlement policy that underscore its growing diplomatic isolation among some of its ⁠traditional allies.

The foreign ministers of nine other countries, including Denmark, Norway, Poland, Spain and Sweden, in a separate statement reaffirmed support for a negotiated two-state settlement — ​a Palestinian state co-existing peacefully alongside Israel.

Pakistan's foreign office welcomed the UK's decision to impose a ban on items originating from the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as well as the announcement by several other countries to consider similar measures and support such efforts.

"The continued expansion of illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory constitutes a blatant violation of international law as well as relevant UN Security Council resolutions," the Pakistan foreign office said.

"Such illegal actions are undermining international efforts aimed at achieving a two-state solution as well as peace and stability in the region."

Palestinian territory – encompassing the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem – has been occupied by Israel since 1967. The West Bank, which Palestinians want as the core of a future independent state along with Gaza and East Jerusalem, has seen an acceleration in Israeli settlement activity and settler violence, as well as large-scale displacement caused by Israeli military operations.

The United Nations says Israeli military operations launched in the northern West Bank in January 2025 have led to the territory's largest and longest displacement crisis since the 1967 Middle East war. Up to 40,000 Palestinians were displaced from refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams, with tens of thousands remaining displaced at the end of last year.

Pakistan, which does not recognize Israel and has consistently called for an independent Palestinian state, hoped that the measures against Israeli settlements will send a clear and unequivocal message of rejection of illegal actions in the occupied Palestinian territories.

"Pakistan has been and will continue to stand by the people of Palestine in their just struggle for self-determination and continue to support all efforts aimed at the establishment of a sovereign, independent, and contiguous Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital," its foreign office said.