The Israeli occupation government’s decision to begin registering land in the occupied West Bank as “state property” is being viewed as an unprecedented step since the occupation of the territory in 1967, raising questions about whether it can be reversed.
The occupation authorities announced the start of registering land in the West Bank as “state property” or “absentee property”, meaning that any land in Area C for which a Palestinian cannot prove ownership will be registered under Israel’s name.
The process includes issuing sale permits, collecting fees, and overseeing registration procedures, while preventing the Palestinian Authority from carrying out its duties in the area, according to the Anadolu Agency.
Under the 1995 Oslo II Agreement, the West Bank was temporarily divided into three areas: Area A, under full Palestinian control; Area B, under Palestinian civil control and Israeli security control; and Area C, under full Israeli security and civil control.
Israeli officials described the decision as a fundamental shift in land administration in the West Bank. Israeli War Minister Yisrael Katz commented on the move, stating: “Renewing the settlement regime in the West Bank is an essential security and administrative step aimed at ensuring the State of Israel’s control over the land, its enforcement, and its full freedom of action there.”
He added that “organising land prevents the imposition of unilateral facts on the ground, reduces attempts at unlawful seizure, and harms terrorist infrastructure that undermines stability and security. This is a necessary step to create operational and legal certainty, allowing the Israeli army and defence establishment to act decisively to protect Israeli citizens and safeguard national interests. I thank Ministers Smotrich and Levin for their cooperation.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said: “We continue the revolution of settlement and land acquisition across our country. For the first time since the Six Day War, we are restoring order and proper governance to land management in Judea and Samaria. Organised land settlement prevents disputes, creates legal certainty, blocks unilateral steps, and enables lawful and responsible development. The State of Israel assumes responsibility for its land and acts according to the law with transparency and determination.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin welcomed the decision, saying: “The approved proposal represents a genuine revolution in Judea and Samaria. The Land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel. The Israeli government is committed to strengthening its control over all its parts, and this decision reflects that commitment. I thank my colleagues, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defence Minister Yisrael Katz, for supporting the proposal, and the professional staff in my ministry who contributed to its completion.”
What Does the Decision Include?
According to the five page resolution, the Israeli army commander in the “Judea and Samaria” area is instructed to authorise the Land Registration and Settlement Authority within the Ministry of Justice to advance land settlement procedures in Area C.
Area C constitutes approximately 60 percent of the West Bank and remains under full Israeli security and civil control.
The decision stipulates registering at least 15 percent of unregulated land in the area through land settlement procedures no later than the end of 2030.
It also provides for the hiring of dozens of employees and allocating millions of shekels for the process. One US dollar equals 3.09 shekels.
The decision claims that by 1967, neither the British Mandate authorities nor the Jordanian Kingdom had settled more than one third of West Bank land. On 19 December 1968, after Israeli forces entered the territory, Military Order No. 291 regarding land and water settlement was issued, suspending settlement procedures in the West Bank except for cases already completed or under judicial review at the time.
It further notes that on 11 May 2025, the political security cabinet approved a resolution titled “Land Settlement in the Judea and Samaria Area”.
The cabinet decision directs the Israeli army commander to resume land settlement procedures in Area C and take all necessary steps to achieve this objective.
According to the text, this requires amendments to Jordanian law governing land registration, which remained in effect prior to 1967 and continued thereafter, to enable effective implementation under current realities.
A Process That May Last 30 Years
The resolution states that the Israeli military commander in the West Bank will take all necessary measures to implement land settlement, including cancelling Military Order No. 291 issued in 1968 and making additional amendments to security legislation as required.
Drafts have reportedly been submitted to the relevant authorities, who are working to complete the procedure as quickly as possible.
Regarding the timeline, the resolution states that land settlement is long and complex and may take around one and a half years per plot of land, depending on size and complexity. Given conditions in the area, it is not unlikely that the process may take longer.
It is estimated that the overall process could take around 30 years, with the decision claiming that renewing land settlement procedures will have significant positive effects.
Attempting to mitigate anticipated criticism, the resolution asserts that the arrangement will provide ownership certainty, facilitate land marketing and transactions, enable access to mortgage loans in cases where this is currently not possible, and prevent legal disputes.
Up to 50 Percent of the West Bank
Commenting on the decision, the Israeli left wing movement Peace Now said in an analytical paper issued on Sunday: “The primary effect of land settlement procedures in Area C is the large scale dispossession of Palestinians from their land, potentially affecting up to 83 percent of the area, equivalent to around 50 percent of the total West Bank, by registering it in the name of the state.”
The movement added that the process would require landowners to prove ownership under conditions that are difficult to meet. Failure to do so would result in the land being automatically registered in the name of the Israeli state.
It described the step as “a clear exercise of sovereignty and annexation, prohibited for any occupying power under international law”.
Peace Now warned that the government intends to complete settlement procedures for 15 percent of unregistered land in Area C within five years.
Area C includes approximately 3.3 million dunams. Around 1.4 million dunams were registered during the Jordanian period, while about 1.7 million remain unregistered. The government plans to settle roughly 290,000 dunams within five years.
Regarding land classified as “state land”, the movement said: “In reality, these are public lands. In independent states, governments administer such land for the benefit of citizens. In the West Bank, however, Israel administers public land solely for Israeli settlers and allocates most of it exclusively to Israelis.”
Addressing US President Donald Trump, the movement stated: “We warn you, Netanyahu is deceiving you. You said you would not allow annexation, but he is carrying it out before your eyes.”
It stressed that the government’s decision on settlement in the West Bank constitutes a massive land seizure that deprives Palestinians of any ability to exercise their rights.
Can the Decision Be Revoked?
It remains unclear whether Israeli human rights organisations will petition the Supreme Court against the decision. However, on 27 January 2026, the court rejected a petition filed by Yesh Din, Bimkom, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, and the Centre for the Defence of the Individual, which sought to cancel the cabinet’s decision to resume land settlement procedures in the West Bank.
The petition argued that the cabinet decision constitutes a step towards annexation of occupied land in violation of international humanitarian law and serves as an additional tool to strip Palestinian citizens of their land and property.
At the time, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition as “premature”, claiming that the cabinet decision represented only an initial stage and that no irreversible harm had yet occurred. With the decision now entering into force, the possibility of a renewed legal challenge may arise.
The United Nations and the international community regard the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, as occupied territory and consider Israeli settlement activity there illegal under international law.
Since launching its war of genocide in the Gaza Strip on 8 October 2023, Israel has intensified its assaults in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, through killings, arrests, demolitions, forced displacement, and settlement expansion.
