Israel Approves West Bank Settlement Expansion

According to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, the decisions—advanced by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich—include repealing a Jordanian-era law that barred the sale of Palestinian land to Jews in the West Bank. The cabinet also approved opening previously sealed land ownership registries and transferring authority over building permits in a settlement bloc in the city of Hebron from the Palestinian municipality to Israel’s Civil Administration.

Easier Land Purchases, Reduced Oversight

The daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the measures will bring far-reaching changes to land registration and purchasing mechanisms. Opening land records would publicly reveal owners’ names, allowing Israeli buyers to contact them directly and easing land acquisition for settlement expansion.
The cabinet also scrapped the requirement for a special “transaction permit” to complete land purchases and curtailed the Civil Administration’s professional oversight, limiting procedures to basic registration requirements. The newspaper described the changes as a legal shift that would be difficult to reverse.

Israeli Enforcement Extended into Areas A and B

The decisions further extend Israeli oversight and enforcement powers into areas classified as Area A and Area B, citing alleged violations related to unlicensed construction, water infrastructure, and damage to archaeological and environmental sites.
Reports say this would permit demolitions and seizures of Palestinian property even in areas administered both civilly and, in the case of Area A, security-wise by the Palestinian Authority.

Hebron Arrangements Altered

Yedioth Ahronoth also reported that parts of the decisions affect long-standing arrangements in Hebron. Planning and construction authority around the Ibrahimi Mosque and other religious sites would be transferred from the Hebron municipality to planning bodies within Israel’s Civil Administration. The move would run counter to the 1997 Hebron Protocol signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Officials Defend Policy Shift

KAN quoted Defense Minister Katz as saying the measures “reflect a clear policy to strengthen the Israeli presence in Judea and Samaria,” using the Hebrew term for the West Bank. Finance Minister Smotrich, meanwhile, claimed the steps “end discrimination against settlers,” according to the broadcaster.

Oslo Accords and Rising Demolitions

Under the 1993 Oslo Accords, Area A falls under full Palestinian civil and security control, Area B under Palestinian civil control with Israeli security oversight, and Area C under full Israeli control.
Despite these arrangements, Israeli authorities have continued demolishing Palestinian homes and structures across the West Bank on the grounds that they lack permits—policies Palestinians say are designed to make building approvals nearly impossible to obtain.
Figures from the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission show that Israel carried out 538 demolitions in 2025, affecting around 1,400 homes and structures, marking an unprecedented increase compared with previous years.