Israel confiscates 24,000 dunams in West Bank to expand illegal settlements

The appropriation has been described as one of the largest land grabs in decades and comes amid international condemnation of Israel's ongoing settlement activities.

The land seizure, led by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, includes territories near Ma'ale Adumim east of Jerusalem, which will expand by 2,600 dunams (642 acres) to connect with the settlement of Kedar. Other areas targeted for settlement expansion include Migdal Oz and Susya in the southern West Bank and Yafit in the Jordan Valley.

Despite the gravity of the situation, no official announcement has been made by the Israeli government or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. Channel 14, however, quoted Smotrich describing the decision as a "historic achievement" to enhance settlement infrastructure and projects—an assertion seen by many as a blatant disregard for Palestinian rights and international law.

The decision to confiscate land is part of a broader strategy to entrench Israeli control over the West Bank. On November 11, Smotrich claimed that Israel would apply sovereignty over the entire occupied West Bank in 2024, signaling an escalation in annexation plans.

Under international law, the West Bank and East Jerusalem are considered occupied territories, and all settlement activities are illegal. In July, the International Court of Justice issued a historic advisory opinion declaring Israel's occupation of Palestinian land "illegal" and demanding the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Palestinian communities, already facing systematic dispossession and violence, have condemned the land seizure as another act of colonialism that undermines their rights, sovereignty, and aspirations for statehood. Human rights organizations have warned that such policies not only violate international law but also exacerbate tensions and push the region further away from peace.

This latest appropriation reinforces fears among Palestinians that Israel is accelerating efforts to erase Palestinian presence in the occupied territories while consolidating its apartheid-like regime. (ILKHA)