The Israeli government has approved a proposal to register the\nmajority of land in the West Bank as \u201cstate property\u201d if Palestinian\nresidents cannot prove their ownership. This marks the first such move\nsince Israel\u2019s occupation of the West Bank in 1967.<\/p>\n
The Palestinian Authority, as reported by Anadolu Agency and Al\nJazeera on Monday (16\/2\/2026), reacted sharply, warning that Israel\u2019s\nmove amounts to \u201cde-facto annexation\u201d.<\/p>\n
Israeli local television channel KAN reported on Sunday (15\/2) that\nthe controversial proposal was submitted by Finance Minister Bezalel\nSmotrich, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Defence Minister Israel\nKatz.<\/p>\n
Smotrich described the move as a continuation of a \u201csettlement\nrevolution to control all of our land\u201d, whilst Levin called it an\nexpression of the Israeli government\u2019s commitment \u201cto strengthen its\ngrip on all of its territories\u201d.<\/p>\n
The move, according to Al Jazeera, paves the way for the resumption\nof the \u201cland ownership rights settlement\u201d process, which had been frozen\nsince Israel\u2019s occupation of the West Bank in 1967.<\/p>\n
This means that when Israel initiates the land registration process\nfor a particular area in the West Bank, anyone with a claim to the land\nmust submit documents proving their ownership.<\/p>\n
However, after decades of occupation, the standard for proving\nPalestinian ownership is extremely high, and the move could strip\nthousands of Palestinians of their rights to their land.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe initial objective is the gradual settlement of 15 per cent of\nArea C by 2030,\u201d reported the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom.<\/p>\n
Under the Oslo II Accord signed in 1995, there are three areas in the\nWest Bank: Area A, under full Palestinian control; Area B, under\nPalestinian civil control and Israeli security control; and Area C \u2014\ncomprising 61 per cent of the West Bank \u2014 under full Israeli military\ncontrol.<\/p>\n
According to Israel Hayom\u2019s report, as cited by Anadolu Agency, the\nprimary implication of the Tel Aviv government\u2019s decision is \u201cthe\ntransfer of vast territories into state land, on condition that no other\nownership is proven\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn this regard, even without a political decision to apply the law,\nIsrael significantly strengthens its grip on the territory by\nregistering plots of land not owned by other parties in the land\nregistry,\u201d Israel Hayom stated in its report.<\/p>\n
The Oslo II Accord restricts land registration by the Palestinian\nAuthority to Areas A and B only, whilst prohibiting it in Area C.<\/p>\n
Area C is estimated to be home to more than 300,000 Palestinians,\nwith many more in surrounding communities who depend on agricultural and\ngrazing land there.<\/p>\n
The majority of Palestinian land in Area C is not officially\nregistered due to lengthy and complex legal processes, including\nrequirements for decades-old documents that may have been lost or\ndestroyed during periods of war or occupation. Israel can now challenge\nland ownership that Palestinians were previously denied access to.<\/p>\n
The Palestinian Authority, based in Ramallah in the West Bank,\ncondemned the move and warned that the Israeli government\u2019s actions\nconstitute \u201cde-facto annexation\u201d of the West Bank and violate\ninternational law.<\/p>\n
\u201cA serious escalation and a blatant violation of international law\nand resolutions of international legitimacy,\u201d the Palestinian Authority\nstated in a declaration reported by the WAFA news agency, adding that\nsuch a decision poses a threat to security and stability.<\/p>\n
\u201cDe-facto annexation of occupied Palestinian land,\u201d the Palestinian\nAuthority declared in its condemnation of the Tel Aviv government\u2019s\napproval of registering West Bank land as \u201cstate property\u201d.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the Palestinian Authority described the move as \u201cthe\ntermination of signed agreements and a clear contravention of UN\nSecurity Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2334, which\nconsiders all settlement activities throughout the occupied Palestinian\nterritories, including East Jerusalem, as illegal\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Palestinian Authority called upon the international community,\nparticularly the UN Security Council, and the United States government\nto intervene immediately to halt Israel\u2019s actions and compel Tel Aviv to\ncomply with international law in order to prevent further\nescalation.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/israel-designates-west-bank-land-as-state-property-palestine-furious-1771305939", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }