Palestinians, Arab countries, and Israeli anti-occupation groups have condemned new steps approved by Israel's security cabinet for the occupied West Bank, saying they amount to de facto annexation. Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the moves that would make it easier for Jewish settlers to take over Palestinian land. 'We will continue to kill the idea of a Palestinian state,' he said. All settlements are seen as illegal under international law.
The measures, which are expected to be signed off by Israel's top military commander for the West Bank, aim to increase Israeli control over the territory in terms of property law, planning, licensing, and enforcement. They were announced three days ahead of a meeting between the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and US President Donald Trump in Washington.
The new Israeli measures include canceling a decades-old prohibition on the direct sale of West Bank land to Jews and declassifying local land registry records. Up to now, settlers could only buy homes from registered companies on land controlled by Israel's government. Israeli ministers presented the change as 'a step that will increase transparency and facilitate land redemption'.
Palestinians fear these changes will lead to more pressure on individuals to sell, as well as acts of forgery and deceit. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the measures 'dangerous' and an 'open Israeli attempt to legalize settlement expansion, land confiscation and the demolition of Palestinian properties.'
The Israeli NGO Peace Now criticized the cabinet's decision as a risk to the Palestinian Authority and a means of enforcing de facto annexation. In a joint statement, foreign ministers from several Arab nations condemned the announcement by Israel as escalating efforts toward illegal annexation and displacing the Palestinian people. The statement warned against the harmful implications of continued Israeli expansionist policies, which exacerbate violence and conflict in the region.
With rights to land central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the issue of land sales remains contentious and often involves complex dealings amid fears of betrayal perceived by the Palestinian Authority. As tensions grow, Palestinians are increasingly vocal in calling for international intervention from the US and UN Security Council against these new Israeli measures.
The measures, which are expected to be signed off by Israel's top military commander for the West Bank, aim to increase Israeli control over the territory in terms of property law, planning, licensing, and enforcement. They were announced three days ahead of a meeting between the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and US President Donald Trump in Washington.
The new Israeli measures include canceling a decades-old prohibition on the direct sale of West Bank land to Jews and declassifying local land registry records. Up to now, settlers could only buy homes from registered companies on land controlled by Israel's government. Israeli ministers presented the change as 'a step that will increase transparency and facilitate land redemption'.
Palestinians fear these changes will lead to more pressure on individuals to sell, as well as acts of forgery and deceit. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the measures 'dangerous' and an 'open Israeli attempt to legalize settlement expansion, land confiscation and the demolition of Palestinian properties.'
The Israeli NGO Peace Now criticized the cabinet's decision as a risk to the Palestinian Authority and a means of enforcing de facto annexation. In a joint statement, foreign ministers from several Arab nations condemned the announcement by Israel as escalating efforts toward illegal annexation and displacing the Palestinian people. The statement warned against the harmful implications of continued Israeli expansionist policies, which exacerbate violence and conflict in the region.
With rights to land central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the issue of land sales remains contentious and often involves complex dealings amid fears of betrayal perceived by the Palestinian Authority. As tensions grow, Palestinians are increasingly vocal in calling for international intervention from the US and UN Security Council against these new Israeli measures.
