Palestine condemns Israel’s plan to register West Bank land as state property, calling it a step towards annexation and a violation of international law.
ISTANBUL: The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has declared Israel’s plan to register large areas of the occupied West Bank as “state property” legally null and void.
In a statement on Sunday, the ministry condemned the move “in the strongest terms” and warned it aims to advance annexation and settlement expansion.
It rejected any attempt to legitimise the seizure of Palestinian lands, calling the measure a practical beginning of the annexation process that undermines the foundations of a Palestinian state.
The ministry stated the decision directly challenges the international legal order and violates principles of international peace and security.
It said the plan contradicts United Nations resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 2334 which affirmed the illegality of settlements.
The statement also cited the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion which found Israel’s occupation unlawful.
“The Ministry calls on the international community, the Security Council, and all legal and international bodies to stand firmly against these accelerating unilateral illegal measures,” it said.
It urged urgent action to deter policies that threaten the two-state solution and regional stability.
The Israeli government approved the proposal to register vast swathes of the West Bank earlier on Sunday.
This is the first such measure since Israel occupied the territory in 1967.
Under the 1995 Oslo II Accord, Area C, accounting for about 61% of the West Bank, remains under full Israeli control.
The accord prohibits land registration by the Palestinian Authority in Area C.
The latest move was part of a series of measures approved by Israel’s Security Cabinet last week.
These measures aim to expand illegal settlement building and increase Tel Aviv’s control of the occupied West Bank.
Israeli media reports the measures include repealing a law that barred land sales to settlers.
They also involve unsealing land ownership records and shifting authority for building permits in a settlement bloc near Hebron.
Israel has intensified operations in the West Bank since launching its military campaign in Gaza on Oct 8, 2023.
Palestinians view the escalation as a step toward formal annexation of the territory.
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal.
The court called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. – Bernama-Anadolu
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