Palestine Condemns Israel's Illegal Settlement Expansion in the West Bank

Gaza/DOK condition © WFP/Maxime Le Lijour

JAKARTA - Palestinian officials strongly condemned a new decision approved by the Israeli security cabinet regarding the occupied West Bank territories and called the move dangerous, unacceptable, and criminal.

The Palestinian official warned that the policy aims to deepen de facto annexation and undermine the rights of the Palestinian people.

In a separate statement, the Palestinian Presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Fatah movement assessed that the policy targeted the existence of Palestine and its national and historical rights, as well as an escalation of Israel's efforts to consolidate control over the West Bank.

The Palestinian Presidency stated that the decision was a continuation of the comprehensive war against the Palestinian people, especially in the West Bank.

These steps are said to be the practical implementation of the annexation and population transfer plan, and pose a serious threat to stability.

Earlier on the same day, Israel's security cabinet approved a number of measures that changed the legal and civil framework in the West Bank to strengthen control.

According to Israeli media, the decision expands Israel's enforcement authority to areas classified as Areas A and B, citing alleged violations related to unauthorized construction, water issues, and damage to archaeological and environmental sites.

The policy allows for the demolition and confiscation of Palestinian property, including in areas that are civically and security-wise administered by the Palestinian Authority.

Based on the 1993 Oslo II Agreement, Area A is under full Palestinian civilian and security control, Area B is under Palestinian civilian control with Israeli security control, while Area C is under full Israeli control.

The Palestinian presidency firmly rejected all violations of Islamic and Christian holy sites, and warned that changes affecting the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron were unacceptable.

The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that part of the cabinet's decision was to transfer planning and development authority at the Ibrahimi Mosque and its surroundings, as well as other religious sites, from the Hebron municipality to the Israeli Civil Administration.

The move is contrary to the arrangements in the 1997 Hebron Protocol between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

The Palestinian presidency said the decision was illegal, null and void, and did not apply. His party urged the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to immediately intervene to stop it because it risked hindering de-escalation efforts and disrupting regional stability.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry described the policy as a series of criminal decisions equivalent to a declaration of war crimes.

The ministry emphasized that Israel, as an occupying power, does not have sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories and has no right to revoke or change applicable laws, including Jordanian-era legislation.

The ministry also called on US President Donald Trump to intervene and pressure Israel to reverse the decision because the policy undermines security and peace.

Fatah said the measures were aimed at consolidating a gradual annexation, legitimizing land seizures, and accelerating settlement expansion.

The opening of land archives, easing land acquisition, granting demolition authority, and lifting restrictions on purchases are considered as new stages of policies that remove the existence of Palestinians.

Israeli media KAN reported that the decision includes the repeal of Jordanian-era laws prohibiting the sale of Palestinian land to Jewish citizens, the opening of land ownership records, and the transfer of the authority to issue building permits in a settlement block in Hebron from the Palestinian municipal government to the Israeli Civil Administration.

Israeli authorities continue to demolish Palestinian homes and buildings throughout the West Bank on the grounds of not having permits, amid a policy that Palestinians consider very restrictive, making it difficult to obtain construction approvals.

According to the Commission for the Resistance to Colonization and the Wall, a Palestinian government agency, Israel carried out 538 demolitions throughout 2025, affecting around 1,400 houses and buildings.

This figure is said to be an unprecedented increase compared to previous years.