Israel’s cabinet has approved measures to tighten the control of the occupied West Bank that have been criticised as the ‘de facto’ annexation of the Palestinian territory.
Israel’s cabinet on Sunday approved measures to tighten control over the occupied West Bank that have been criticised as the de facto annexation of the Palestinian territory.
The cabinet approved the beginning of the land registration process in Area C of West Bank for the first time since Israel occupied West Bank in 1967, according to Times of Israel.
West Bank along with the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem are envisioned to be part of the future Palestinian state. While Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967 and annexed in 1980, the control of West Bank has been divided between Israel and Palestinian Authority (PA) into Areas A, B, and C — see table below.
The move comes a week after the cabinet passed another measure to expand Israeli control in Areas A and B. Together, these are the biggest move towards annexation since Israel occupied Palestinian territories in 1967.
| Area | % of West Bank | PA Civil Control | Security Control | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 18% | Yes | PA (Israeli operations allowed) | Palestinian cities |
| B | 22% | Yes | Joint Israeli-PA | Villages |
| C | 60% | No | Israel | Settlements, military areas |
The PA has condemned the Sunday’s measure as “de facto annexation of occupied Palestinian territory and a declaration of the commencement of annexation plans aimed at entrenching the occupation through illegal settlement activity”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies have long sought to expand settlements —deemed illegal in the international law— in West Bank as part of a campaign to expand Israeli control of the Palestinian territory and squeeze the room for any Palestinian state.
Earlier this month, Netanyahu’s cabinet had voted to expand Israeli oversight and enforcement activities into Areas A and B of West Bank that would allow private Israeli citizens to buy land in these areas for the first time since 1967.
Unlike Area C that Israel controls completely, the PA retains complete civil and security control in Area A and partial control in Area B, but Israel is allowed to move into both the areas in the name of security operations.
Even as US President Donald Trump has announced he would not let Israel annex West Bank or Gaza, he has not done anything to deter Netanyahu from expanding the control of the Palestinian territory that has been dubbed as de facto annexation.
Following the passage of measures, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said “we are continuing the revolution of settlement and strengthening our hold across all parts of our land”.
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