Zionist Regime Cabinet Approves Plan to Formalize Annexation of West Bank
The Israeli cabinet has announced its decision to take full control over land registration in Area C of the West Bank. This area comprises roughly 60 percent of the occupied territory and hosts the majority of unauthorized Israeli settlements.
The measure, supported by right-wing Israeli officials including the military affairs minister Israel Katz and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, is being described by critics as a de facto annexation of land owned by Palestinians.
The 1995 Oslo Accords outlined provisions for Area C to remain under temporary Israeli jurisdiction, with the anticipation of a future transfer of governance to the Palestinian Authority.
In accordance with the newly passed cabinet resolution, any initiatives by Palestinians to register land in Area C will be deemed legally null and void by Israeli authorities.
Israeli officials plan to initiate formal land registration processes, conduct comprehensive land surveys, and potentially rezone significant areas, a move anticipated to facilitate the expansion of settlements.
The resolution mandates Israeli security forces to obstruct Palestinian efforts to register land, deny international support for these initiatives, and form an inter-ministerial committee to supervise land registration within a 60-day timeframe.
The latest development coincides with the forthcoming discussions in the Israeli Knesset regarding a proposed bill aimed at facilitating land acquisitions for settlers, including in regions populated by Palestinians.
The initiatives align with recent land assessments carried out by the regulation unit of the civil administration, overseen by Smotrich. These assessments could potentially lead to the reclassification of privately owned Palestinian land as public land under Israeli jurisdiction.
Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din has expressed concerns regarding a new development, labeling it as a perilous advance towards fulfilling the “messianic vision” of an annexation-driven administration. The group cautioned that this action could potentially violate international law and pose significant risks to the rights of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
Palestinian activists, including Ayed Jafry from Sinjil in the central West Bank, have expressed concerns that the policy may exacerbate dispossession. Jafry remarked, “We are once again confronting the occupation directly. This policy facilitates the appropriation of land by settlers without proper oversight.”
Legalizing Territorial Control
The United Nations has expressed concerns regarding Israel’s authorization of a land registration initiative in the occupied West Bank, warning that such actions may further entrench the perceived legitimacy of its occupation of Palestinian territories.
At a news conference, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric expressed concerns, stating, “We consider it a perilous movement as it legitimizes the occupation. Our stance is that the West Bank is part of the occupied Palestinian territory.”
He stated that any move towards annexation would, at the very least, contravene international law and undermine efforts in the peace process.
A senior United Nations official has stressed concern over the current trajectory of the Palestine-Israel conflict, stating that the situation is “moving in the wrong direction” and calling for an urgent need to change course.
