Israel to Declare West Bank Land as 'State Property', Hamas Furious

The Israeli government has approved a plan to claim large swathes of the occupied West Bank as “state property” if Palestinians cannot prove ownership, sparking regional protests and accusations of “de facto annexation”.

Israeli television station Kan reported on Sunday that the proposal was put forward by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Defence Minister Israel Katz.

Smotrich said the move was a continuation of the “settlement revolution to control all our land”, whilst Levin described it as an expression of the Israeli government’s commitment “to strengthen its grip on all its territories”.

The decision 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, anyone with a claim to the land must submit documents proving their ownership.

However, after decades of occupation, the standards for proving Palestinian ownership are extremely high, and the move could strip thousands of Palestinians of their land rights.

The Palestinian Presidency condemned the decision in a statement, calling it “a serious escalation and a flagrant violation of international law”, tantamount to “de facto annexation”.

They called on the international community, particularly the United States and the UN Security Council, to intervene immediately.

Hamas also condemned the Israeli move, describing it as an attempt “to steal and Judaise land in the occupied West Bank by registering it as so-called ‘state land’”.

The group, which led the October 2023 attack on southern Israel and has been fighting against Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, described the approval as “a null and void decision issued by an illegitimate occupying power”.

“This is an attempt to forcibly impose settlement and Judaisaton on the territory, in blatant violation of international law and relevant UN resolutions,” Hamas stated.

Israel’s decision represents the latest step to deepen its control over the occupied West Bank. In recent months, Israel has expanded construction in illegal settlements, legalised outposts, and made significant bureaucratic changes to its policies in the territory to strengthen its grip and undermine the Palestinian Authority.