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The Israeli government approved a proposal Sunday to reopen land registration in the occupied West Bank for the first time since 1967, including registering extensive areas as “state property.”
Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that the proposal was submitted by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Defense Minister Israel Katz.
In a joint statement, the three ministers said the decision would allow the registration of extensive areas in the West Bank that belong to the state in the name of the state.
The statement said the proposal would enable the Justice Ministry’s Authority for Registration and Settlement of Land Rights to oversee settlements and receive a dedicated budget for the process.
It said the move would allow “a transparent and in-depth clarification of rights” aimed at ending legal disputes and facilitating the development of infrastructure and market land.
The ministers described the decision as a response to what they called “illegal settlement procedures” promoted by the Palestinian Authority in Area C, which they said violate the law and existing agreements.
Katz said the renewal of land settlement in Judea and Samaria is “an essential security and governance measure” designed to ensure control, enforcement, and full freedom of action for the State of Israel in the area.
Smotrich said Israel is “continuing the revolution of settlement and strengthening our hold across all parts of our land.”
“For the first time since the Six-Day War, we are restoring order and governance in the management of land in Judea and Samaria. A regulated land settlement prevents disputes, creates legal certainty, blocks unilateral steps, and enables lawful and responsible development,” he said.
According to the Israel Hayom newspaper, the main implication of the decision is “the conversion of very large areas into state land, provided that no other ownership is proven.”
“In this sense, even in the absence of a political decision to apply the law, Israel significantly strengthens its hold on the land by registering plots that are not owned by other parties in the land registry,” the paper said.
The Oslo II Accord restricts land registration by the Palestinian Authority to Areas A and B and prohibits it in Area C.
If implemented, Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, or COGAT, will be tasked with organizing and registering land ownership in Area C.
The process includes issuing sale permits, collecting fees, and overseeing registration procedures, while preventing the Palestinian Authority from carrying out such activities in those areas.
The move is part of a series of measures approved by Israel’s Security Cabinet last week aimed at expanding illegal settlement construction and increasing Israeli control over the occupied West Bank.
According to Israeli media, the measures include repealing a law that barred the sale of land in the West Bank to illegal Israeli settlers, unsealing land ownership records, and transferring authority for building permits in a settlement bloc near Hebron from a Palestinian municipality to Israel’s civil administration.
Israel has intensified operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since launching its military campaign in Gaza. Palestinians view the escalation, including killings, arrests, displacement, and settlement expansion, as a step toward the formal annexation of the territory.
In a landmark advisory opinion in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
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