Israel Designates West Bank Land as 'State Property', Palestine Furious
The Israeli government has approved a proposal to register the majority of land in the West Bank as “state property” if Palestinian residents cannot prove their ownership. This marks the first such move since Israel’s occupation of the West Bank in 1967.
The Palestinian Authority, as reported by Anadolu Agency and Al Jazeera on Monday (16/2/2026), reacted sharply, warning that Israel’s move amounts to “de-facto annexation”.
Israeli local television channel KAN reported on Sunday (15/2) that the controversial proposal was submitted by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Defence Minister Israel Katz.
Smotrich described the move as a continuation of a “settlement revolution to control all of our land”, whilst Levin called it an expression of the Israeli government’s commitment “to strengthen its grip on all of its territories”.
The move, according to Al Jazeera, paves the way for the resumption of the “land ownership rights settlement” process, which had been frozen since Israel’s occupation of the West Bank in 1967.
This means that when Israel initiates the land registration process for a particular area in the West Bank, anyone with a claim to the land must submit documents proving their ownership.
However, after decades of occupation, the standard for proving Palestinian ownership is extremely high, and the move could strip thousands of Palestinians of their rights to their land.
“The initial objective is the gradual settlement of 15 per cent of Area C by 2030,” reported the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom.
Under the Oslo II Accord signed in 1995, there are three areas in the West Bank: Area A, under full Palestinian control; Area B, under Palestinian civil control and Israeli security control; and Area C — comprising 61 per cent of the West Bank — under full Israeli military control.
According to Israel Hayom’s report, as cited by Anadolu Agency, the primary implication of the Tel Aviv government’s decision is “the transfer of vast territories into state land, on condition that no other ownership is proven”.
“In this regard, even without a political decision to apply the law, Israel significantly strengthens its grip on the territory by registering plots of land not owned by other parties in the land registry,” Israel Hayom stated in its report.
The Oslo II Accord restricts land registration by the Palestinian Authority to Areas A and B only, whilst prohibiting it in Area C.
Area C is estimated to be home to more than 300,000 Palestinians, with many more in surrounding communities who depend on agricultural and grazing land there.
The majority of Palestinian land in Area C is not officially registered due to lengthy and complex legal processes, including requirements for decades-old documents that may have been lost or destroyed during periods of war or occupation. Israel can now challenge land ownership that Palestinians were previously denied access to.
The Palestinian Authority, based in Ramallah in the West Bank, condemned the move and warned that the Israeli government’s actions constitute “de-facto annexation” of the West Bank and violate international law.
“A serious escalation and a blatant violation of international law and resolutions of international legitimacy,” the Palestinian Authority stated in a declaration reported by the WAFA news agency, adding that such a decision poses a threat to security and stability.
“De-facto annexation of occupied Palestinian land,” the Palestinian Authority declared in its condemnation of the Tel Aviv government’s approval of registering West Bank land as “state property”.
Furthermore, the Palestinian Authority described the move as “the termination of signed agreements and a clear contravention of UN Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2334, which considers all settlement activities throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, as illegal”.
The Palestinian Authority called upon the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, and the United States government to intervene immediately to halt Israel’s actions and compel Tel Aviv to comply with international law in order to prevent further escalation.