Israel Approves Land Registration in West Bank

Israel’s government has approved a plan to register land in the West Bank as “state property,” prompting condemnation from Arab nations and international critics who warn it could accelerate the annexation of Palestinian territories.

According to Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the new measure, approved late Sunday, is intended to ensure “transparent and thorough clarification of rights to resolve legal disputes,” following cases of unlawful land registration in areas under Palestinian Authority control.

Several Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and Jordan, condemned the decision as a violation of international law. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry described it as “aimed at imposing a new legal and administrative reality in the occupied West Bank,” warning it could undermine regional peace efforts.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II also expressed concern, saying the measure “undermines efforts to restore calm and threatens to exacerbate the conflict,” according to a statement from the royal court.

The European Union urged Israel to reverse the decision. EU foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni said, “This constitutes a new escalation after recent measures already aimed at extending Israeli control. We reiterate that annexation is illegal under international law.”

The Palestinian Authority in Ramallah called for international intervention to halt what it described as the “de facto beginning of the annexation process and the undermining of the foundations of the Palestinian state.”

Israeli anti-settlement NGO Peace Now criticized the measure as a “mega land grab.” Co-director Jonathan Mizrachi told AFP that it would allocate new resources for land registration.

The process will take place only in Area C, which makes up roughly 60 percent of the West Bank and remains under Israeli security and administrative control.