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ISRAEL’S cabinet on Sunday approved a series of measures aimed at tightening Israeli control over the occupied West Bank and making it easier for settlers to register and purchase land, prompting strong condemnation from Palestinian officials who described the move as a “de-facto annexation” of territory sought for a future independent state.
Reuters reported on Monday that the West Bank, largely under Israeli military authority, includes areas of limited Palestinian self-rule administered by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.
The newly approved steps mark the first systematic land registration initiative in the territory since Israel’s capture of the West Bank during the 1967 Middle East war, which Israel cites as having biblical and historical significance.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government faces an election later this year, has repeatedly warned that the creation of a Palestinian state constitutes a security threat.
His coalition, which relies heavily on votes from settlement communities, includes members advocating full annexation of the West Bank.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich hailed the measures, stating, “We are continuing the revolution of settlement and strengthening our hold across all parts of our land.”
Defence Minister Israel Katz described land registration as a crucial security measure, while the cabinet emphasised it was an “appropriate response to illegal land registration processes promoted by the Palestinian Authority.”
The Israeli foreign ministry added that the policy aims to promote transparency and resolve land disputes.
Palestinian officials condemned the move, declaring it “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 Peace Now warned the new measures could result in the dispossession of Palestinians from up to half of the West Bank.
Although U.S. President Donald Trump has ruled out formal Israeli annexation, his administration has not taken steps to curb the accelerated expansion of settlements.
The United Nations’ highest court, in a non-binding advisory opinion issued in 2024, affirmed that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements there is illegal and should be ended promptly, a position Israel continues to dispute.
The decision intensifies longstanding international concerns over settlement expansion, sovereignty, and the viability of a two-state solution, while raising fears of further escalation in an already volatile region. - February 16, 2026