Jerusalem (AFP) — Israel’s government has approved a process to register land in the West Bank as “state property,” drawing condemnation from Arab nations and critics who said it would accelerate annexation of the Palestinian territory.

Israel’s foreign ministry said the measure, approved late Sunday, would enable “transparent and thorough clarification of rights to resolve legal disputes,” and was needed after unlawful land registration in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority.

Arab nations Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan criticized the move as illegal under international law.

The measure is “aimed at imposing a new legal and administrative reality in the occupied West Bank” that would undermine peace efforts in the region, Saudi Arabia’s foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II said the actions “undermine efforts to restore calm and threaten to exacerbate the conflict,” according to a statement released by the royal court.

The European Union called on Israel to reverse the move.