Israel’s cabinet on Sunday approved measures aimed at expanding state oversight of land in the West Bank and facilitating land purchases by settlers, a move Palestinian officials described as a 'de-facto annexation.'

Ministers voted to begin a process of land registration in the West Bank for the first time since Israel captured the territory in the 1967 Middle East war.

The decision comes a week after the cabinet approved additional measures in the West Bank that drew international criticism.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose governing coalition includes strong support from the settler movement, has long opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, describing it as a security threat.

“We are continuing the revolution of settlement and strengthening our hold across all parts of our land,” far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said following the cabinet vote.

Defence Minister Israel Katz described the land registration process as a necessary security measure. In a statement, the cabinet said the decision was an “appropriate response to illegal land registration processes promoted by the Palestinian Authority.”

Israel’s foreign ministry said the move would increase transparency and help resolve land disputes.

Palestinian and international reaction

The Palestinian presidency condemned the decision, calling it “a de-facto annexation of occupied Palestinian territory and a declaration of the commencement of annexation plans aimed at entrenching the occupation through illegal settlement activity.”

Settlement watchdog group Peace Now warned that the measure could lead to the dispossession of Palestinians from up to half of the West Bank.

The West Bank is one of the territories Palestinians seek for a future independent state. While much of the area remains under Israeli military control, limited self-rule is exercised in some parts by Palestinian Authority.

U.S. President Donald Trump has ruled out Israeli annexation of the West Bank, although his administration has not moved to curb Israel’s expanded settlement activity.

In 2024, the United Nations’ highest court issued a non-binding advisory opinion that affirmed that the Fourth Geneva Convention applies, rendering Israeli settlement expansion and annexation illegal. 

Israel disputes that conclusion.

The UN considers the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, "occupied territory" because it was captured and brought under Israeli military control during the Six-Day War in 1967.

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