Israel will begin West Bank land registration in new step to deepen control
Israel's Cabinet approved a plan for a land registration process in the occupied West Bank that critics say amounts to a land grab from Palestinians.
Palestinians walk along the separation barrier between the West Bank and the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina, Feb. 15, 2026.
AP/Ohad Zwigenberg
Tel Aviv, Israel
Israel will begin a contentious land regulation process in a large part of the occupied West Bank, which could result in Israel gaining control over wide swaths of the area for future development, according to a government decision on Sunday.
It paves the way for the resumption of 鈥渟ettlement of land title鈥� processes, which had been frozen in the West Bank since the Mideast War in 1967. It means that when Israel begins the land registration process for a certain area, anyone with a claim to the land must submit documents proving ownership.
Peace Now, the Israeli anti-settlement group, said the process likely amounts to a 鈥渕ega land grab鈥� from Palestinians.
鈥淭his move is very dramatic and allows the state to gain control of almost all of Area C,鈥� said Hagit Ofran, the director of Peace Now鈥檚 Settlement Watch program. Area C refers to the 60% of the West Bank that is under full Israeli military control, according to agreements reached in the 1990s with the Palestinians.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas鈥� office in a statement called the decision 鈥渁 grave escalation and a flagrant violation of international law,鈥� which amounts to 鈥渄e facto annexation.鈥� It called on the international community, especially the U.N. Security Council and the United States, to intervene immediately.
Israeli steps in recent months
The decision is the latest step to deepen Israeli control over the West Bank. In recent months, Israel has greatly expanded construction in Jewish settlements, legalized outposts, and made significant bureaucratic changes to its policies in the territory to strengthen its hold and weaken the Palestinian Authority.
Israel鈥檚 Foreign Ministry said Palestinian Authority civil planning maps show that the authority has been advancing land registration procedures in Area C for years in violation of agreements that give Israel civil and military control over the area. It said Sunday鈥檚 decision was made for greater transparency.
The decision was first announced last May but required further development before it was approved in this week鈥檚 Cabinet meeting. Under the decision, Israeli authorities will designate certain areas for registration, forcing anyone with a claim to the land to prove their ownership.
Ms. Ofran said the process for proving ownership can be 鈥渄raconian鈥� and is rarely transparent, meaning any land that undergoes the registration process in areas currently owned by Palestinians is likely to revert to Israeli state control.
鈥淧alestinians will be sent to prove ownership in a way that they will never be able to do,鈥� Ms. Ofran told The Associated Press. 鈥淎nd this way Israel might take over 83% of Area C, which is about half of the West Bank.鈥�
The registration process could start as soon as this year, she said.
The proposal had been put forward by some of Israel鈥檚 far-right members of the ruling coalition, including the Minister of Justice Yariv Levin. 鈥淭he government of Israel is committed to strengthening its grip on all its parts, and this decision is an expression of that commitment,鈥� he said.
A 鈥渄angerous escalation鈥�
Jordan鈥檚 Foreign Ministry, in a statement, called on the international community to 鈥渁ssume its legal and moral responsibilities, and to compel Israel, the occupying power, to stop its dangerous escalation.鈥�
Qatar鈥檚 foreign ministry said it considered Israel鈥檚 decision 鈥渁n extension of its illegal plans to deprive the Palestinian people of their rights.鈥�
Previous U.S. administrations have sharply condemned an expansion of Israeli activity and control in the West Bank, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a particularly close relationship with President Donald Trump. The two met last week in Washington, their seventh meeting in the past year.
And yet Mr. Trump has opposed annexation, Ms. Ofran noted.
Palestinians are not permitted to sell land privately to Israelis, though measures announced last week aim to nullify this. Currently, settlers can buy homes on land controlled by Israel鈥檚 government. Last week鈥檚 decision also aimed to expand Israeli enforcement of several aspects of in the West Bank, including environmental and archaeological matters in Palestinian-administered areas.
More than 700,000 Israelis live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 from Jordan and sought by the Palestinians for a future state. The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in these areas to be illegal and an obstacle to peace.
Over 300,000 Palestinians are estimated to live in Area C of the West Bank, with many more in surrounding communities dependent on its agricultural and grazing lands, including plots for which families retain land deeds or tax records dating back decades.
Associated Press reporter Areej Hazboum in Jerusalem contributed to this report.