• Israel has barred Arab foreign ministers from a planned visit to the West Bank.
• The delegation aimed to discuss Palestinian statehood amid the conflict escalation.
• Saudi Arabia condemned the decision as “extremism and rejection of peace.”
• Israel announced 22 new settlements in the West Bank, worsening diplomatic tensions.
• An international conference on Palestinian statehood is set for June 17-20 in New York.

Israel will not cooperate with a planned visit by Arab foreign ministers to the occupied West Bank, an Israeli official announced, stating that such a meeting is a provocative attempt to discuss Palestinian statehood. The visit was scheduled just as Israel announced plans for the expansion of 22 new settlements in the territory, a move condemned by the international community as illegal under international law, according to Indiatimes, Al Jazeera, and Reuters.

The foreign ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE were set to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah to express solidarity and discuss statehood. However, Israeli authorities warned that they would not permit entry, thus effectively blocking the visit, reflecting Israel’s ongoing policy towards Palestinian governance, according to Middle East Eye and Dawn.

Following the announcement, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan condemned Israel's action, labeling it as an expression of "extremism and rejection of peace." This rhetoric was echoed during a joint press conference where ministers emphasized the need for a united Arab and international stance against Israeli actions, which they claim undermine peace efforts, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.

Reports indicate that the blocked visit came amid heightened tensions following a deadly Gaza war that has seen substantial casualties. More than 54,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in the Gaza conflict since it began, escalating calls for international action toward establishing a Palestinian state, as detailed in The New York Times and The Jakarta Post.

This diplomatic blockage comes ahead of an international conference scheduled for June 17-20 in New York, aiming to forge pathways for Palestinian statehood, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, which indicates significant geopolitical implications in the ongoing Arab-Israeli tensions, according to TRT Global and Indiatimes.