Global Backlash as 85 Nations Condemn West Bank Moves

More than 80 UN member states (from 85) condemned Israel's moves to expand control in the West Bank, calling unilateral steps a violation of international law and possibly a de facto annexation. They urged reversal, opposing changes to the territory’s demographic and legal status after Israel advanced measures including land registration as state property and tighter control over areas administered by the Palestinian Authority; the UN secretary-general also urged reversal, citing destabilising and unlawful implications.