Israeli authorities on Thursday issued new notices informing Palestinian residents of plans to seize land in the town of al-Khader and the nearby village of Khirbet Zakaria, in the south of Bethlehem.
Ahmad Salah, head of al-Khader municipal council, said the Israeli military posted a notification on an electricity pole near the targeted area announcing the intention to take over up to 14 dunums (1,400 sq metres) of land. The notice gives residents seven days to submit objections.
Mohammad Attallah, head of the Khirbet Zakaria village council, confirmed that a similar seizure notice was issued for land on the village’s outskirts, though the exact area was not disclosed.
These measures form part of a long-standing Israeli policy of land confiscation across the occupied West Bank.
According to WAFA, such notices, which Israeli authorities frequently justify under the pretext of “military needs” or settlement expansion, have resulted in the loss of agricultural land, restricted access for farmers and the gradual displacement of Palestinian communities, while the illegal settlements and outposts continue to expand on seized territory.
Related