Israel's security cabinet on Sunday approved a series of measures aimed at expanding Israeli control over the occupied West Bank, paving the way for further settlement expansion in the Palestinian territory.
The territory, which Israel has occupied since 1967, would make up the largest part of a future Palestinian state, but is seen by many in religious right circles as Israel's land.
"The Security Cabinet today approved a series of decisions that fundamentally change the legal and civil reality in Judea and Samaria," said a statement, using the biblical names for the West Bank, reported Al Arabiya from AFP (9/2).
The measures, announced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Israeli Defense Minister Katz, include the elimination of decades-old regulations that bar Jews from buying land in the West Bank, according to a joint statement by the two ministers.
Smotrich said the move was aimed at "deepening our roots in all parts of the Land of Israel and burying the idea of a Palestinian state."
Meanwhile, Katz said, "Judea and Samaria are the heart of the country, and strengthening it is the main security, national and Zionist interest."
The reform also considers transferring the authority over settlement construction permits in several parts of the Palestinian city, including Hebron, from Palestinian Authority municipal bodies to Israel.
Until now, construction changes in the city's Jewish community require approval from the local city government and Israeli authorities, the Times of Israel reported, citing the statement.
Under the new arrangement, the change requires only Israeli authorization.
"We are committed to removing obstacles, creating legal and civil certainty, and enabling settlers to live, build, and develop with the same footing as every Israeli citizen," Katz said in the statement.
The measures would also allow Israeli authorities to manage certain religious sites even when those sites are in areas under the control of the Palestinian Authority, the statement said.
The Yesha Council, an organization that represents the majority of West Bank settlers, praised the measures, saying "the Israeli government today declared, de facto, that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people."
This announcement was made a few days before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the United States, where he is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump.
It is known that President Trump opposed Israel's annexation of the West Bank.
Excluding East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements and outposts across the West Bank, which are illegal under international law.
Around three million Palestinians live in the territory.
In 2025, settlement expansion reached its highest level at least since 2017, when the United Nations began tracking the data, according to a recent U.N. report.
Israeli authorities approved 19 settlements in December alone.
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