Israel Approves Plan to Register West Bank Lands as 'State Property'

February 16, 2026 | 12:18 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Israeli government approved a proposal on Sunday, February 15, 2026, to register large swathes of the occupied West Bank as "state property" for the first time since Israel's occupation began in 1967, as quoted from Al Jazeera. 

The public broadcaster KAN said the proposal was submitted by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Defense Minister Israel Katz.

“We are continuing the settlement revolution to control all our lands,” Smotrich said.

Under the Oslo II Accord signed in 1995, Area A of the West Bank is under full Palestinian control, Area B is under Palestinian civil control and Israeli security control, while Area C, accounting for about 61% of the West Bank, remains under full Israeli control.

According to the paper, the main implication of the government decision is “the conversion of very large areas into state land, provided that no other ownership is proven.”

The Oslo II Accord limits land registration by the Palestinian Authority to Areas A and B, while prohibiting it in Area C, according to Middle East Monitor.

If approved, the Israeli government’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) will be responsible for organizing and registering land ownership in Area C.

The move is part of a series of measures passed by Israel’s Security Cabinet last week aimed at expanding illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank. Katz and Smotrich announced that several new policies would go into effect to streamline the acquisition of property by Jewish Israelis of land in Areas A and B of the West Bank.

The Palestinian Presidency slammed the Israeli government’s decision, calling it a “serious escalation” and saying the Israeli move in effect nullifies signed agreements and clearly contradicts resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

Al Jazeera reported that Israel stopped registering Palestinian land in 1967. Meanwhile, land registration establishes permanent ownership. 

In a landmark opinion in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

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