In brief
Following the announcement of new Israeli measures that would allow easier land acquisition for Jewish settlers in the West Bank, Palestinians and several Arab countries have expressed strong opposition, denouncing these actions as tantamount to de facto annexation. The changes include repealing restrictions on land sales to Jews and lowering transaction oversight, raising fears of increased pressure on Palestinian landowners and potential fraud. Leaders, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, are calling for international intervention regarding what they consider dangerous expansions of Israeli settlement policies.
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 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, the United Nations (UN) has said.
The new Israeli measures include canceling a decades-old prohibition on the direct sale of West Bank land to Jews and declassifying local land registry records. Up to now, settlers could only buy homes from registered companies on land controlled by Israel's government.
Palestinians said they feared the changes would lead to more pressure on individuals to sell, as well as acts of forgery and deceit.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas - who heads the Palestinian Authority (PA), governing parts of the West Bank - called the measures 'dangerous' and an 'open Israeli attempt to legalize settlement expansion, land confiscation, and the demolition of Palestinian properties, even in areas under Palestinian sovereignty.'
In a strongly worded joint statement on Monday, the foreign ministers of several countries condemned the announcement by Israel, describing it as accelerating attempts at illegal annexation and the displacement of the Palestinian people.
Israeli bodies would be given oversight and enforcement powers for environmental and archaeological matters in PA-administered areas. Other controversial steps include transferring building licensing in sensitive areas solely to Israeli authorities.
Israeli settlements, which have been deemed illegal under international law, have caused significant displacement of Palestinian people and continue to be a major point of conflict in the region.
