Israel Clears Path For Settlers To Buy Land In West Bank, Palestinians Call Move De-Facto Annexation

Last Updated:February 15, 2026, 22:30 IST

Israel approved tighter West Bank control and easier land purchases for settlers, sparking Palestinian outrage over de-facto annexation.

Israeli Cabinet on Sunday approved further measures to tighten the control over the occupied West Bank and make it easier for settlers to buy land. The move has been slammed by the Palestinians who called it “a de-facto annexation".

According to Reuters, the coalition of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing an election later this year, includes many pro-settler members who want Israel to annex the West Bank, land captured in the 1967 Middle East war to which Israel cites biblical and historical ties.

Ministers voted in favour of beginning a process of land registration for the first time since 1967.

Also Read: Trump Warns Israel Would Lose ‘All Of US Support’ If It Annexes West Bank

“We are continuing the revolution of settlement and strengthening our hold across all parts of our land," said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right member of Netanyahu’s government.

In a statement, the cabinet said that registration was an “appropriate response to illegal land registration processes promoted by the Palestinian Authority," and would end disputes.

Reuters quoted Defence Minister Israel Katz saying that land registration was a vital security measure designed to ensure control, enforcement, and full freedom of action for Israel in the area to protect its citizens and safeguard national interests.

Also Read: ‘Trump Can Go To Hell, We’re The Owners’: Palestinians Vow To Stay Put In Gaza

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority rejected the Israel’s decision and said it constitutes “a 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".

US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has ruled out Israeli annexation of the West Bank but his administration has not sought to curb Israel’s accelerated settlement building. According to the Palestinians, the US’s decision denies them a potential state by eating away at its territory.

In 2024, the United Nations’ highest court said in a non-binding advisory opinion that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements there are illegal and should be ended as soon as possible.

News world Israel Clears Path For Settlers To Buy Land In West Bank, Palestinians Call Move De-Facto Annexation

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