{"id":293702,"date":"2026-02-16T06:59:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T06:59:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/293702\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T06:59:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T06:59:08","slug":"israel-moves-to-declare-west-bank-land-as-state-property-amid-rising-tensions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/293702\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel Moves to Declare West Bank Land as \u2018State Property\u2019 Amid Rising Tensions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gaza (TDI): The Israeli government has approved a plan to register extensive areas of the occupied West Bank as \u201cstate property,\u201d marking the first move of its kind since Israel\u2019s occupation of the territory in 1967.<\/p>\n

The decision has drawn sharp criticism from Palestinians and international observers, who say it violates international law prohibiting the confiscation of land in occupied territories.<\/p>\n

The announcement came on Sunday from Israeli public broadcaster KAN, coinciding with a day of intensified violence in Gaza, where Israeli forces reportedly killed at least 12 Palestinians in less than 24 hours, according to Gaza\u2019s civil defence agency.<\/p>\n

The proposal, submitted by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Defence Minister Israel Katz, was approved by Israel\u2019s security cabinet. Smotrich described the move as part of a continued \u201csettlement revolution to control all our lands.\u201d Katz framed the decision as \u201can essential security and governance measure to ensure control, enforcement, and full freedom of action for the state of Israel in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read More:\u00a0Arab and Muslim Leaders at UN Rebuke Israel\u2019s West Bank Annexation Measures<\/a><\/p>\n

Palestinian officials denounced the decision as a \u201cserious escalation.\u201d The Palestinian Presidency said the move nullifies signed agreements and violates UN Security Council resolutions, Wafa news agency reported. Hamas also condemned the step, calling it an effort \u201cto steal and Judaise lands in the occupied West Bank by registering them as so-called \u2018state lands.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Most Palestinian land in the West Bank has never been formally registered due to a lengthy and complex process that was halted by Israel in 1967. Registration of land establishes permanent ownership, which international law prohibits an occupying power from claiming in occupied territories. Analysts warn that Israel\u2019s move amounts to de facto annexation, potentially reshaping the legal and civil framework of the West Bank and removing what Israeli ministers described as \u201clegal obstacles\u201d to expanding settlements.<\/p>\n

Read More:\u00a0Global Outcry Intensifies as Israel Expands Control in West Bank<\/a><\/p>\n

The announcement coincided with renewed violence in Gaza despite a US-brokered truce entering its second phase last month. Palestinian authorities reported that five people were killed and several injured in a strike on a tent sheltering displaced families in Jabalia, five others in Khan Yunis, and one more in Gaza City. Israeli gunfire reportedly killed another person in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza.<\/p>\n

\"\"\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gaza (TDI): The Israeli government has approved a plan to register extensive areas of the occupied West Bank…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":293703,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[85,46,43],"class_list":{"0":"post-293702","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-israel","8":"tag-il","9":"tag-israel","10":"tag-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=293702"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293702\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/293703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=293702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=293702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=293702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}