&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Israel approves West Bank land registration for first time since 1967, sparks ‘de facto annexation’ fears")
Israel's cabinet on Sunday approved formal registration of land first time since 1967, in parts of the occupied West Bank a move that has serious political and legal ramifications. The proposal was tabled by the far right Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Justice Yariv Levin, and Minister of Defence Israel Katz.
What was approved?
Israel's cabinet approved a legal framework to systematically dispossess Palestinian land, which was already under Israeli control. The move allows the expansion of formal settlement in areas of the occupied West Bank that were under Israeli military and civilian control, i.e., Area C, which accounts for 60 per cent of the land in the West Bank.
The government has allocated $79 million for the 2026-2030 period. Israeli authorities will designate areas for registration where the land owner must provide proof of ownership; land without documentation will be considered Israeli land and made available for settlement expansion.
Administrative step or ‘de facto annexation’
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In the occupied West Bank under the Jordanian Administration, which followed British Mandate rule and lasted from 1949 to 1967, 30 per cent of the land was registered, 70 per cent is completely unregistered, which makes it hard to determine who owns the land. The Israeli administration has called it an administrative step to minimise dispute, and the Foreign Ministry described it as a measure to counter unauthorised Palestinian Authority registration efforts. The Palestinian Authority condemned the decision as ‘de facto annexation’ and a violation of international law, which prohibits the occupier from changing the status of the occupied land. The European Union, Egypt, Jordan and Qatar condemned the move, stating it harms the prospect of a two-state solution. The ICJ has already ruled that Israel's long-time occupation of Palestinian territory, comprising East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, is unlawful.
