ISRAEL APPROVES MEASURES EXPANDING CONTROL AND SETTLEMENTS IN WEST BANK

Israel’s security cabinet has approved a series of policy changes affecting land ownership, administrative authority and enforcement powers in the occupied West Bank of Palestine. The measures include easing restrictions on land purchases by Israeli citizens and expanding Israeli oversight in areas administered by Palestinian institutions. The measures are aimed at the expressed goal of fully annexing the remaining Palestinian territory of the West Bank.

Cabinet Decision Announced In Jerusalem

On 8 February 2026, Israel’s security cabinet endorsed measures designed to increase Israeli administrative and legal control across parts of the West Bank, according to reporting by Israeli media cited by Anadolu Ajansı and other outlets. The approved steps include repealing a Jordanian-era law that had prohibited the sale of Palestinian land to Jewish buyers and opening land registry records to facilitate property transactions.

The decisions were promoted by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz, who stated that the changes would remove long-standing legal barriers and enable expanded settlement development in the West Bank. The cabinet also authorised the revival of a state land acquisition committee that had been inactive for roughly two decades, allowing authorities to pursue strategic land purchases. Some provisions require further procedural approval from the Israeli military command responsible for the territory before full implementation.

Changes To Land Ownership And Registration Framework

The policy package introduces structural changes to land registration and purchasing mechanisms across the West Bank. Opening previously restricted land records is expected to make ownership information publicly accessible, enabling prospective buyers to approach registered owners directly to force sales by informal means. Authorities also removed requirements for special transaction permits previously needed for property sales, reducing administrative oversight to standard registration procedures.

In addition, the cabinet decided to re-establish formal state involvement in land acquisition processes. Officials described the step as ensuring long-term availability of land for settlement development, aligned with Israel’s goal of owning all Palestinian territories. Israeli ministers stated that the measures were intended to eliminate restrictions they characterised as discriminatory and to enable expanded civilian development in the territory.

Expansion Of Administrative And Planning Authority

The measures also transfer or extend Israeli administrative powers in several locations. Planning authority in parts of Hebron, including areas around religious sites, will shift from Palestinian municipal structures to Israel’s Civil Administration. Additional provisions expand Israeli enforcement powers into areas previously administered by the Palestinian Authority, particularly concerning environmental regulations, water management and archaeological oversight.

Reports also indicate that Israeli authorities may carry out enforcement actions, including property-related interventions, within zones designated under existing agreements as Areas A and B. These changes adjust arrangements established under the Oslo Accords, which divided the territory into zones with differing levels of Israeli and Palestinian administrative control.

Stated Policy Objectives From Israeli Officials

Statements from members of the Israeli government framed the decisions as a deliberate strengthening of Israeli presence in what Israeli officials refer to as Judea and Samaria. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described the approval as enabling land acquisition under simplified conditions and characterised the decision as advancing settlement policy.

Separate reporting cited government statements indicating that the measures are intended to facilitate continued settlement expansion and consolidate administrative authority over strategic areas. With the full destruction and gradual takeover of the Palestinian territory of Gaza last year, the West Bank remains the last native Palestinian land that Israel seeks to annex. Since this territory is not hermetically isolated, the settlement policy, which aims at the dilution of the population in the target area, has been a much-used policy tool by Israel.

Palestinian, Regional And International Responses

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas characterised the measures as illegal and as steps toward de facto annexation, calling for international intervention. Jordan’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the policy changes, stating they were aimed at imposing Israeli sovereignty over occupied territory.

The United Nations’ highest court previously issued a non-binding advisory opinion stating that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory are unlawful under international law, a position Israel disputes. Civil society organisations monitoring settlement activity described the measures as removing longstanding barriers to land acquisition and expanding Israeli authority within areas historically administered by Palestinian institutions.

Concluding Outlook

Although Israel has pursued an aggressive settler policy to annex Palestinian territories for many decades and was massively condemned by the international (state) community for doing so, the reason why this policy has now resurfaced and is pursued more proactively is that there have been no consequences from previous settlement waves. Further, Israel’s allies can and will block, or at least prolong, measures against Israel by the international state community.

Therefore, it is very likely that Israel is now aggressively pushing for faster settlements in the West Bank. It has always been an expressed goal by the state of Israel to do so, and the current legislation will bring it closer to achieving this goal. Especially, the provision to transparently share homeowner information will lead to Israelis directly threatening homeowners to sell their properties. The provisions that grant Israel more power in the management of water resources will worsen the supply bottlenecks for Palestinians in order to force them to flee the region.