Israel Condemned After Approving West Bank Land as 'State Property'
The Israeli government has approved a process to register land in the West Bank as “state property”, a move that has drawn condemnation from Arab nations and widespread criticism for being seen as accelerating the annexation of Palestinian territory.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the policy, approved on Sunday evening (15 February), would enable “transparent and comprehensive clarification of rights to resolve legal disputes”, and was necessary following land registrations deemed illegitimate in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority.
However, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan condemned the move as a violation of international law.
In its statement, the Egyptian government described the policy as “a dangerous escalation aimed at consolidating Israel’s control over occupied Palestinian territory”.
Qatar’s foreign ministry condemned “the decision to change the ownership status of land in the West Bank to so-called ‘state property’”, stating that the move would “strip the Palestinian people of their rights”.
The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority called for international intervention to prevent “the de facto beginning of annexation and the erosion of the foundations of the Palestinian state”.
“Seizure” of living space
Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now described the policy as “massive land confiscation”.
Jonathan Mizrachi, one of the executive directors of the Israeli non-governmental organisation, told AFP news agency on Monday (16 February) that the policy would allocate new resources for land registration in the occupied West Bank.
The process would take place in Area C, which covers approximately 60 per cent of the West Bank and is under Israeli security and administrative control.
“There has been a great deal of ambiguity regarding land status, and now Israel has decided to address it,” he said, adding that the ambiguity over land ownership in Area C would likely be used to the detriment of Palestinian residents.
“Much of the land considered to belong to Palestinians could be declared not theirs under this new registration process,” he said, noting that the move would advance the annexation agenda of Israel’s right wing.
Changing demographics
For Palestinians, the West Bank forms the foundation of a future Palestinian state. However, many on Israel’s religious right want the territory to fall under Israeli sovereignty.
Last week, Israel’s security cabinet approved a series of measures backed by right-wing ministers to tighten control over areas of the West Bank administered by the Palestinian Authority under the Oslo Accords since the 1990s.
These measures, which also drew international condemnation, include granting Israeli Jewish citizens permission to purchase land in the West Bank directly, as well as authority for Israeli officials to manage a number of religious sites in areas under Palestinian Authority control.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.
The latest initiatives come amid increasing attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the territory, according to several human rights groups.
“We are witnessing rapid steps to permanently alter the demographics of the occupied Palestinian territory, stripping the land from its people and forcing them to leave,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk in a recent statement.
United States President Donald Trump has expressed his opposition to the annexation of the West Bank by Israel, arguing that stability in the territory helps maintain Israel’s security.
However, Trump has not directly criticised the Israeli government’s latest move, despite a growing wave of international condemnation.
Outside East Jerusalem, which Israel has annexed, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements and outposts in the West Bank — deemed illegal under international law.
Approximately three million Palestinians reside in the territory occupied by Israel since 1967.