Israeli Security Cabinet Approves Sweeping Measures to Accelerate West Bank Land Seizure and Settlement Expansion
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the Israeli security cabinet enacted substantial changes to the mechanisms governing land management and registration within the occupied West Bank on February 8, 2026. These approvals are designed to accelerate the expansion of settlements and facilitate tighter Israeli control, while simultaneously increasing the authority to demolish Palestinian homes.
Key among these decisions is the repeal of the so-called ‘Jordan Law,’ which previously prohibited the sale of Palestinian properties to Jewish entities. Furthermore, the decisions lifted confidentiality on land records and transferred planning and construction authority in the Hebron city areas to the ‘Israeli Civil Administration.’ These measures also significantly broaden surveillance capabilities and the power to demolish Palestinian structures, a move Al Jazeera noted was passed specifically to hasten settlement absorption of West Bank territory.
The Israeli cabinet revoked legislation dating back to the Jordanian mandate era, which had restricted land ownership rights to West Bank residents or companies registered within the territory. Eliminating this restriction allows settlers to purchase land directly from Palestinians without requiring intermediary shell companies. The decision also nullifies a requirement for prior authorization before any property transaction, a critical oversight mechanism that verified document authenticity and prevented forgery. This change paves the way for the sale of Palestinian properties to Zionists through fraudulent documentation.
The new policy reactivates a governmental mechanism for land acquisition in the West Bank via the Custodian of Government Property in the region, an entity parallel to the Israeli Land Administration within the Green Line. A similar procedure was covertly activated during the 1970s and 1980s, involving state-affiliated bodies in purchase operations. This latest decision revives that pathway, enabling direct land purchases from Palestinians through official channels.
The Israeli cabinet also authorized extending the jurisdiction of Israeli enforcement bodies to encompass Areas A and B of the West Bank. These areas are currently under the civil administration of the Palestinian Authority based on existing agreements. Under the 1993 Oslo Accords, the West Bank was partitioned, with Areas A and B (approximately 40% of the territory) managed by the PA, and Area C (about 60% of the occupied territory) under Israeli control.
Based on published data, executive powers in Areas A and B will now extend across three primary domains: heritage and archaeological sites, environmental violations, and water issues. This resolution grants Israeli bodies the authority to issue stop-work orders or demolish Palestinian property and structures under the pretext of damaging archaeological sites, creating environmental hazards, or conflicting with water management regulations.
Additionally, the Israeli cabinet designated the ‘Israeli Civil Administration’ as responsible for licensing and construction in the Ibrahimi Mosque compound and its vicinity in Hebron. This directly overrides prior international agreements, such as the January 1997 Hebron Protocol, which assigned planning and construction authority in Hebron to the Palestinian Hebron Municipality. This resolution grants Israeli entities the ability to expand existing settlements and establish new ones within Hebron.
In related commentary, the American magazine Foreign Policy warned in an analytical article that the West Bank risks becoming the next flashpoint in the Middle East under the Netanyahu cabinet’s policies. Since October 7, 2023, coinciding with the war in Gaza, the Israeli military presence in the West Bank has escalated, checkpoints have multiplied, and operations, particularly in refugee camps, have intensified. Concurrently, the pace of settlement construction and the legalization of unauthorized outposts has accelerated, while settler violence has become an almost daily occurrence.
According to Foreign Policy, the Israeli security cabinet has approved a package of measures effectively moving annexation closer to legal status, including easing land sales to settlers and expanding authority in Areas A and B. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has openly stated that the goal of these policies is to eliminate the prospect of a Palestinian state. The article also raised alarms about the financial crisis facing the Palestinian Authority, citing the cessation of tax revenue transfers since May 2025, incomplete salary payments to approximately 150,000 employees, and the resulting reduction in public services as indicators of an impending structural collapse. The report also highlighted the expansion of settlement projects, including the ‘E1’ plan, and a 27 percent increase in settler attacks between 2024 and 2025. The author concluded that the weakening or collapse of the PA would not only destabilize the West Bank further but also significantly diminish the prospects for any political settlement or a two-state solution.
