The Israeli Cabinet this week approved changes to land registration in the West Bank, allowing demolition of Palestinian-owned homes and enabling expanded construction of Jewish-only colonies on stolen Palestinian land.
Quds News Network reported that Israel’s security cabinet has approved a series of far-reaching decisions that will accelerate settlement expansion across the occupied West Bank and deepen Israel’s de facto annexation of Palestinian land. The measures remove long-standing restrictions on land sales, expand demolition powers, and transfer key planning authorities from Palestinian bodies to Israeli control.
In a joint statement issued Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the cabinet approved what they described as “dramatic” decisions that change the legal and civilian reality in the West Bank. They said the measures allow Israeli “action” in Areas A and B on civilian matters, in direct violation of the Oslo Accords, and aim to remove what they called decades-old obstacles.
According to Katz and Smotrich, the cabinet approved steps to facilitate land sales to Israelis in the West Bank by canceling a Jordanian law that prohibited land sales to non-Palestinians. The cabinet also lifted confidentiality rules on West Bank land registries. This move allows buyers to identify Palestinian landowners and approach them directly, a step that will fuel land grabs under pressure and coercion.
The cabinet also approved the transfer of planning and construction powers in Hebron from the Palestinian municipality to the Israeli army’s Civil Administration. In occupied Bethlehem, Israel moved the Rachel’s Tomb compound to direct Israeli management and separated it from the Bethlehem municipality.
Haaretz reported that Israel will establish an independent municipal entity for the Israeli settlement enclave in Hebron. This body will directly serve settlers and bypass Palestinian mechanisms entirely, further entrenching Israeli control in the city.
Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Katz and Smotrich pushed these decisions to deepen the effective annexation of large parts of the West Bank. The paper said the measures will reshape land systems and purchasing processes and allow Israel to demolish Palestinian-owned buildings even in Area A, which falls under full Palestinian civil control. The paper added that the decisions will significantly expand Israeli settlement activity.
The report noted that the cabinet approved the measures as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for a rushed visit to the United States. Netanyahu reportedly moved the trip forward amid concerns that President Donald Trump may have softened earlier red lines on Iran. While Netanyahu heads to Washington, Katz and Smotrich are advancing a push to impose full control over the West Bank.
Yedioth Ahronoth stressed that the decisions contradict the 1997 Hebron Agreement, under which Israeli forces did not fully withdraw from the city but accepted limits on control. The paper also revealed that the measures bypassed a full government vote and went only to the security cabinet, whose members insist on advancing annexation before expected elections in October.
The Israeli Settlers Council welcomed the decisions and described them as the most important in 58 years. In a statement, the council said the government has effectively declared that the land belongs to “the Jewish people” and is now cementing full control on the ground.
Palestinian and Regional Condemnation
Palestinian reactions were swift and sharp. The Palestinian presidency described the decisions as a dangerous escalation and part of a comprehensive war on the Palestinian people. It warned that the measures target Palestinian existence and national rights across all occupied territory and amount to the practical implementation of annexation and displacement plans.
The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission said the decisions impose a coercive and hostile environment on Palestinians. It urged the international community to confront Israel, warning that the measures destroy the Oslo framework and openly challenge international law.
Hebron Municipality warned that Israel is seeking to create a parallel entity that will allow settlement expansion inside the city. Officials said the move undermines all previous legal arrangements and risks turning Palestinian heritage and archaeological areas into pretexts for Israeli takeover.
International relations expert Ali Abu Rizq described the cabinet decision as one of the most dangerous in Palestinian history. He said Israel has now openly declared the start of formal annexation after seizing nearly 69 percent of the West Bank over the years, especially in the past two years. He warned that the decision gives the Israeli army unchecked power to demolish any neighborhood, at any time, and in any manner.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the decisions aim to swallow all Palestinian land and forcibly displace its people. He said the Israeli government seeks to expand a war of extermination and erase Palestinian presence across all geography. Qassem called for unified Palestinian action to confront an existential threat.
Jordan strongly condemned the Israeli measures and said they aim to impose illegal sovereignty and entrench settlements through a new legal and administrative reality in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the decisions and described them as criminal. It said Israel has no sovereignty over any part of the occupied Palestinian territory and has no right to cancel or amend existing laws, including Jordanian legislation. The ministry said the cabinet’s approval amounts to a full war crime and urged international investigations and accountability.
Fatah echoed the condemnation and said the decisions legalize land theft, destroy prospects for a two-state solution, and impose apartheid by force. The movement said Palestinian land is not for sale and that these measures will not grant Israel any legal or political legitimacy.
