Israel Approves Largest Land Seizure in West Bank in Three Decades
Israel has announced the largest land seizure in the occupied West Bank in over thirty years, according to the Israeli non-governmental organization Peace Now. The recent appropriation of 1,270 hectares (12.7 square kilometers) of land in the Jordan Valley marks the largest such action since the Oslo Accords of 1993. This land has been declared 'government property' by the Israeli authority overseeing land affairs in the Palestinian Territories.
The decision has drawn significant criticism from various international bodies and organizations. Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, described the move as 'a step in the wrong direction,' emphasizing the need for a negotiated two-state solution. Since the beginning of the year, Israel has seized a total of 23.7 square kilometers of the West Bank, with earlier seizures in March and February further escalating tensions.
Impact on Israeli-Palestinian Relations
The seizure has exacerbated already heightened tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, particularly in light of the ongoing conflict between the Israeli army and Palestinian Hamas in Gaza. According to Peace Now, the Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, is prioritizing the interests of a small group of settlers over broader national and international interests.
The expansion of settlements in the West Bank is widely regarded as illegal under international law and is seen as one of the primary obstacles to resolving the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The United Nations has repeatedly condemned the construction of illegal settlements, highlighting that such actions undermine the possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian state. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also criticized the settlement expansion, calling it 'counterproductive to achieving lasting peace.'
Currently, around 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank, which is home to approximately three million Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority administers parts of the West Bank but is restricted from operating in 60% of the territory where these settlements are located. The international community continues to call for a halt to settlement activities and a return to negotiations to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
- The latest land seizure near the Yafit settlement in the Jordan Valley has been offered for lease to Israelis, prohibiting Palestinian ownership. This move is part of a broader trend of accelerated settlement expansion under successive Israeli governments, a trend that has intensified under Netanyahu’s leadership.
- The 1980s saw Israel declare hundreds of thousands of dunams as 'state land,' a practice halted in 1992 by Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin but resumed in 1998 under Netanyahu. The recent actions continue this pattern, with the Israeli government making it increasingly difficult to achieve a political settlement that includes the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
- The conflict has seen a significant rise in violence, with nearly daily military raids by Israel in the West Bank often leading to deadly confrontations with Palestinian insurgents. The international community, including various humanitarian organizations, continues to denounce these actions and the ongoing harassment of Palestinians by settlers, which forces many Palestinians to abandon their lands.
