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.
Last year, settlements in the West Bank expanded at their fastest rate since monitoring began, according to the United Nations (UN). The new Israeli measures include cancelling a decades-old prohibition on the direct sale of West Bank land to Jews and declassifying local land registry records. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas labeled the measures as dangerous and called for US and UN intervention.
A joint international condemnation came from Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and several other countries, highlighting that these actions accelerate illegal annexation efforts and the displacement of Palestinian people. Smotrich's proposals are viewed as part of a broader strategy that could significantly alter the landscape for Palestinians, amid fears of increased land theft and violence. With more than 700,000 Israeli settlers currently living in the occupied West Bank, tensions remain high as rights to the land at the heart of this conflict are increasingly contested.
Last year, settlements in the West Bank expanded at their fastest rate since monitoring began, according to the United Nations (UN). The new Israeli measures include cancelling a decades-old prohibition on the direct sale of West Bank land to Jews and declassifying local land registry records. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas labeled the measures as dangerous and called for US and UN intervention.
A joint international condemnation came from Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and several other countries, highlighting that these actions accelerate illegal annexation efforts and the displacement of Palestinian people. Smotrich's proposals are viewed as part of a broader strategy that could significantly alter the landscape for Palestinians, amid fears of increased land theft and violence. With more than 700,000 Israeli settlers currently living in the occupied West Bank, tensions remain high as rights to the land at the heart of this conflict are increasingly contested.
