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Israel plans to 'annex' West Bank land as ‘state property’: Why Palestinians see it as mega land grab | Explained
Under this bill, Israel will resume the "settlement of land title" processes in the occupied West Bank, a process which has been paused since 1967.
As the Israel-Palestine conflict continues, the Israeli government has approved a plan to claim large areas of the occupied West Bank as "state property". The bill, which is seen as an attempt by Israel to "annex" more of the Palestinian territory, was submitted by far-right Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Justice Yariv Levin and Minister of Defence Israel Katz.
As per Smotrich, the new bill comes as part of the Israeli government's effort to expand settlements in the West Bank area.
What will the new bill allow?
Under this bill, Israel will resume the "settlement of land title" processes in the occupied West Bank, a process which has been paused since the Six-Day War in 1967.
With the resumption of the process, any person with claims to the land must present the required documents to prove their ownership.
However, if Palestinians fail to present the documents, Israel will have a right to take the land as "state property" with the new bill.
After years of occupation, the criteria for land ownership have also changed, and this new bill has the potential to dispossess thousands of Palestinians of their rights to their land.
Furthermore, the new bill will focus on Area C in the West Bank, which is an area under full Israeli military control.
Majority of Palestinian land in West Bank has not been registered due to expensive legal process or due to the misplacement of documents during times of war and occupation.
Over 300,000 Palestinians are estimated to live this area, and many more in surrounding communities dependent on its agricultural and grazing lands, as well as plots for which families retain land deeds or tax records dating back decades.
Palestine, Egypt and Qatar slam new bill as ‘de facto annexation’
The Palestinian presidency has condemned the decision, calling it a “grave escalation and a flagrant violation of international law”. The PA has further stated that the new bill will amount to “de facto annexation” of the West Bank.
Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now has also slammed the process as a “mega land grab” from Palestinians.
“This move is very dramatic and allows the state to gain control of almost all of Area C,” said Hagit Ofran, the director of Peace Now’s Settlement Watch programme.
"Palestinians will be sent to prove ownership in a way that they will never be able to do," Ofran told The Associated Press.
"And this way Israel might take over 83 per cent of the Area C, which is about half of the West Bank," she added further.
Palestinian militant group Hamas has also slammed the move as a "violation of international law and UN resolutions." The group also called the bill an attempt “to steal and Judaise lands in the occupied West Bank by registering them as so-called ‘state lands'".
Egypt and Qatar have also stepped in to condemn the action.
Qatar's foreign ministry condemned the "decision to convert West Bank lands into so-called 'state property'," saying it would "deprive the Palestinian people of their rights".
In a statement, the Egyptian government called the Israeli bill a "dangerous escalation aimed at consolidating Israeli control over the occupied Palestinian territories".
