Israel’s government has approved a significant land seizure in the occupied West Bank, the largest since the Oslo Accords in 1993, according to Israeli rights group Peace Now. The declaration covers a 1,270-hectare section of the Jordan Valley, making it even more challenging to establish a Palestinian state.
Peace Now criticized the move, citing it as the biggest Israeli land seizure in Palestinian territory this year. When land is declared state property, Israel no longer recognizes it as privately owned by Palestinians. Israel’s Higher Planning Council also approved thousands of new housing units in Israeli settlements.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich celebrated the move, aiming to prevent the West Bank from becoming part of an independent Palestinian state. His actions have sparked international condemnation. The Israeli government’s efforts to assert control over the occupied territories continue to raise concerns among rights groups.
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