Palestinians stroll alongside the separation barrier between the West Financial institution and east Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina, Sunday Feb. 15, 2026.
Ohad Zwigenberg/AP
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Ohad Zwigenberg/AP
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel will start a contentious land regulation course of in a big a part of the occupied West Financial institution, which might end in Israel gaining management over vast swaths of the world for future improvement, based on a authorities choice on Sunday.
It paves the best way for the resumption of “settlement of land title” processes, which had been frozen within the West Financial institution because the Mideast Struggle in 1967. It implies that when Israel begins the land registration course of for a sure space, anybody with a declare to the land should submit paperwork proving possession.
The Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now stated the method seemingly quantities to a “mega land seize” from Palestinians.
“This transfer could be very dramatic and permits the state to achieve management of just about all of Space C,” stated Hagit Ofran, the director of Peace Now’s Settlement Watch program. Space C refers back to the 60% of the West Financial institution that’s beneath full Israeli navy management, based on agreements reached within the Nineties with the Palestinians.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ workplace in a press release known as the choice “a grave escalation and a flagrant violation of worldwide regulation,” which quantities to “de facto annexation.” It known as on the worldwide group, particularly the U.N. Safety Council and the USA, to intervene instantly.
Israeli steps in current months
The choice is the most recent step to deepen Israeli management over the West Financial institution. In current months, Israel has vastly expanded building in Jewish settlements, legalized outposts and made vital bureaucratic modifications to its insurance policies within the territory to strengthen its maintain and weaken the Palestinian Authority.
Israel’s Overseas Ministry stated Palestinian Authority civil planning maps present that the authority has been advancing land registration procedures in Space C for years in violation of agreements that give Israel civil and navy management over the world. It stated Sunday’s choice was made for better transparency.
The choice was first introduced final Might however required additional improvement earlier than it was authorized on this week’s Cupboard assembly. Beneath the choice, Israeli authorities will announce sure areas to endure registration, which can pressure anybody who has a declare to the land to show their possession.
Ofran stated the method for proving possession may be “draconian” and is never clear, that means any land that undergoes the registration course of in areas at present owned by Palestinians is prone to revert to Israeli state management.
“Palestinians will probably be despatched to show possession in a means that they’ll by no means be capable of do,” Ofran advised The Related Press. “And this manner Israel may take over 83% of the Space C, which is about half of the West Financial institution.”
The registration course of might begin as quickly as this 12 months, she stated.
The proposal had been put ahead by a few of Israel’s far-right members of the ruling coalition, together with the Minister of Justice Yariv Levin. “The federal government of Israel is dedicated to strengthening its grip on all its elements, and this choice is an expression of that dedication,” he stated.
A ‘harmful escalation’
Jordan’s Overseas Ministry in a press release known as on the worldwide group to “assume its authorized and ethical tasks, and to compel Israel, the occupying energy, to cease its harmful escalation.”
Qatar’s international ministry stated it thought-about Israel’s choice “an extension of its unlawful plans to deprive the Palestinian folks of their rights.”
Earlier U.S. administrations have sharply condemned an growth of Israeli exercise and management within the West Financial institution, however Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a very shut relationship with President Donald Trump. The 2 met final week in Washington, their seventh assembly up to now 12 months.
And but Trump has opposed annexation, Ofran famous.
Palestinians will not be permitted to promote land privately to Israelis, although measures introduced final week intention to nullify this. At present, settlers should purchase properties on land managed by Israel’s authorities. Final week’s choice additionally aimed to broaden Israeli enforcement of a number of elements of within the West Financial institution, together with environmental and archaeological issues in Palestinian-administered areas.
Greater than 700,000 Israelis dwell within the occupied West Financial institution and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 from Jordan and sought by the Palestinians for a future state. The worldwide group overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement building in these areas to be unlawful and an impediment to peace.
Over 300,000 Palestinians are estimated to dwell in Space C of the West Financial institution, with many extra in surrounding communities depending on its agricultural and grazing lands, together with plots for which households retain land deeds or tax data relationship again many years.
