Israel took a new step on Sunday to consolidate its control over the occupied West Bank by authorizing the start of a land registration process unprecedented since 1967, a decision that the Government presents as a security measure, but that the Palestinian National Authority describes as progress towards the annexation of the territory.
First modification: 02/15/2026 - 17:43 Last modification: 02/16/2026 - 00:59
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Israel's cabinet on Sunday approved new measures to tighten Israeli control over the occupied West Bank and facilitate land purchases by settlers, in a move Palestinians called a "de facto annexation."
The West Bank is one of the territories that the Palestinians aspire to include in a future independent state.
Much of the territory is under Israeli military control, with limited Palestinian autonomy in some areas administered by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA).
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections later this year, considers the creation of any Palestinian state a security threat.
Its ruling coalition includes several pro-settler members who seek to have Israel annex the West Bank, territory captured in the 1967 Middle East war, to which Israel attributes biblical and historical ties.
Ministers voted to start a land registration process for the first time since 1967.
“We are continuing the settlement revolution and strengthening our control in all parts of our land,” said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right member of Netanyahu's government.
Defense Minister Israel Katz noted that land registration is a vital security measure aimed at ensuring Israel's control, law enforcement and full freedom of action in the area to protect its citizens and safeguard national interests.
In a statement, the cabinet said the registration is an "appropriate response to the illegal land registration processes promoted by the Palestinian Authority" and would put an end to disputes.
The Palestinian Authority presidency rejected the cabinet decision, stating that it constitutes "a de facto annexation of the occupied Palestinian territory and a declaration of the beginning of annexation plans aimed at consolidating the occupation through illegal settlement activities."
US President Donald Trump has ruled out an Israeli annexation of the West Bank, but his administration has made no attempt to slow Israel's acceleration of settlement construction, which Palestinians say undermines the viability of a future state by shrinking their territory.
The United Nations' highest court said in a non-binding advisory opinion in 2024 that Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories and settlements there are illegal and must end as soon as possible. Israel rejects this position and maintains that it has historical and biblical ties to the land.
The land registry adds to a series of measures adopted earlier this month to expand control.
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