Key Points
- Israel to reopen land registration in the West Bank for the first time since 1967
- Arab states and the Palestinian Authority term move a step toward annexation
- The measure applies to Area C, about 60 per cent of the territory
- Pakistan rejects the decision, calls for international action
ISLAMABAD: Israel’s cabinet has approved a controversial process to register land ownership in parts of the occupied West Bank, triggering strong condemnation from Pakistan, Arab governments, the Palestinian Authority, and international rights advocates who warn it could accelerate de facto annexation of Palestinian territory.
According to Israeli officials, the measure is designed to create a “transparent and thorough clarification of rights” to resolve long-standing legal disputes over land.
Israel’s foreign ministry said the step was necessary following what it described as unlawful land registration efforts in areas administered by the Palestinian Authority.
Critics, however, argue the move would allow Israel to reclassify large swathes of land as “state property”, a legal designation that could pave the way for further expansion of Jewish settlements.
Even an Israeli anti-settlement watchdog described the decision as a “mega land grab”.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that land registration will resume for the first time since 1967, when Israel captured the West Bank in the Middle East war.
The process is expected to apply to Area C, a term from the 1990s’ Oslo Accords, which divided the West Bank into Areas A, B, and C.
Area C, comprising about 60 per cent of the territory, remains under full Israeli security and administrative control.
The Palestinians view the West Bank as crucial to the establishment of an independent state.
More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements across the territory, excluding Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem. Under international law, these settlements are widely considered illegal, a position Israel disputes. Around three million Palestinians reside in the West Bank.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated that the steps could amount to “unlawful annexation,” noting that aspects of the policy framework resemble systems of segregation seen in the past.
Egypt, Qatar, and Jordan condemned the move as a dangerous escalation that undermines prospects for a two-state solution.
According to a Jordanian Foreign Ministry statement, “The Israeli decision… undermines the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self‑determination, ending the occupation and establishing an independent, sovereign state on the June 4, 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
“Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied West Bank… [This is] a clear breach of international law and the existing legal status of the occupied territory, ” it added. In the statement, the ministry called on the international community to compel Israel “to halt dangerous escalation and unilateral measures”.
The Foreign Ministry of Egypt terms the Israeli move a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, as well as relevant UNSC resolutions, notably Resolution 2334 of 2016.”
The Egyptian statement underlines the violation of key legal norms protecting occupied populations.
According to Qatar News Agency, Qatar and seven other foreign ministers strongly condemned the measures aimed at imposing “unlawful Israeli sovereignty, entrenching settlement activity… accelerating attempts at illegal annexation and the displacement of the Palestinian people.” They reaffirmed that “Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory.”
Arab and Islamic coalition statement from the countries, including the UAE, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan and others, described the decisions as an attempt to enforce a “new legal and administrative reality in the occupied West Bank. The Israel’s move “undermines the two‑state solution and fuels violence in the region,” it added.
These verbatim condemnations provide a clear picture of the diplomatic outrage from key regional capitals and blocs, stressing violations of international law, threats to Palestinian self‑determination, and the wider risks to peace and security.
The Palestinian Authority called for urgent international intervention, warning that the measure marks the practical beginning of annexation.
In Islamabad, Pakistan’s Foreign Office rejected what it termed Israel’s “illegal measures” in the Occupied West Bank.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attempt to convert Palestinian land into so-called state property violates international law and United Nations resolutions.
Pakistan urged the international community to take concrete steps to end Israeli impunity. Islamabad also reaffirmed support for an “independent, viable and contiguous State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.”
The United Nations has also stepped up criticism of Israel’s recent administrative and security measures in the occupied West Bank, warning they risk entrenching control over the territory.
