The Israeli Knesset on Wednesday approved a non-binding motion declaring support for the annexation of the occupied West Bank, in a vote that underscores deepening tensions over the decades-long conflict.

The motion, described by its sponsors as a “declaration by Knesset,” was backed by 71 lawmakers in the 120-seat parliament, with 13 voting against, according to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

Although the measure carries no legal or legislative force, it reflects growing calls within Israel’s political establishment to formalize control over the territory it has occupied since the 1967 Middle East war.

The vote comes amid an intensification of violence in the West Bank since Israel launched its war in Gaza last October. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, nearly 1,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers since the Gaza offensive began.

Last year, the International Court of Justice issued a landmark advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal under international law and urging the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The Wednesday vote has no immediate practical effect but is likely to inflame regional and international criticism as Israel faces growing scrutiny over its actions in both Gaza and the West Bank.