Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet has approved measures to initiate formal land registration in the West Bank for the first time since Israel captured the territory during the 1967 Middle East war, sparking fierce backlash from Palestinian leaders and settlement monitoring groups who view it as a step toward annexation.
The decision, aimed at tightening Israel's control over the disputed area to which it claims historical and Biblical ties, will streamline the process for Israeli settlers to purchase land. Palestinians, who seek the West Bank as the heartland of a future independent state, have decried the move as undermining their aspirations. Large portions of the territory remain under Israeli military control, while certain areas fall under limited administration by the Palestinian Authority.
Netanyahu, facing an election this year, has consistently opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state, arguing it would endanger Israel's security. His coalition government features prominent pro-settlement figures who advocate for annexing the West Bank. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich celebrated the cabinet's action, stating, "We are continuing the revolution of settlement and strengthening our hold across all parts of our land."
Defence Minister Israel Katz framed the land registration as a vital security measure. In an official statement, the cabinet described the policy as an "appropriate response to illegal land registration processes promoted by the Palestinian Authority." Israel's foreign ministry added that the initiative would enhance transparency and aid in resolving land disputes.
The Palestinian presidency issued a vehement condemnation, labeling the cabinet vote a "de-facto annexation of occupied Palestinian territory and a declaration of the commencement of annexation plans aimed at entrenching the occupation through illegal settlement activity."
Settlement watchdog group Peace Now warned that the measure could lead to the "dispossession of Palestinians" from up to half of the West Bank, exacerbating tensions in the long-standing conflict.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has explicitly ruled out supporting Israeli annexation of the West Bank but has refrained from curbing Israel's ongoing settlement expansion.
