May 12 2025
11The Israeli cabinet has approved an unprecedented decision since 1967, allowing for the registration of land ownership in Area "C" of the West Bank in the Israeli Tabu (land registry), in a move aimed at entrenching Israeli control over these lands and seizing more Palestinian property.
This decision comes at the initiative of Ministers Yisrael Katz and Bezalel Smotrich, with full backing from the right-wing government, as part of efforts to expand settlements and prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Under this measure, land registration in the Israeli Tabu will be considered final and difficult to appeal, allowing Israeli authorities to seize any land that does not have officially registered ownership rights.
It is worth noting that a significant portion of the West Bank lands were not fully registered during the British Mandate and Jordanian rule. Israel froze the registration process after occupying the West Bank in 1967, only to now exploit this reality to serve its settlement expansion plans.
