GENEVA: The United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday warned that Israel’s latest plans to tighten its control over the occupied West Bank amount to a step toward consolidating “illegal annexation,” paving the way for further settlement expansion and deepening violations of international law.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said decisions approved by Israel’s security cabinet would significantly alter the status of the West Bank, undermining the possibility of a viable Palestinian state and accelerating the dispossession of Palestinians.
On Sunday, Israel’s security cabinet approved a series of measures allowing Jewish Israelis to directly purchase land in the West Bank and expanding Israeli administrative authority in areas currently under the control of the Palestinian Authority (PA). The decisions also grant Israel powers to administer certain religious sites located in PA-controlled territory.
The moves represent a significant shift from the governance framework established under the Oslo Accords of the 1990s, which were designed as an interim arrangement pending a final settlement between Israelis and Palestinians. The new measures have triggered widespread international condemnation.
“These decisions by Israel’s security cabinet are the latest in a long line of actions aimed at annexing Palestinian land,” Türk said in a statement, according to AFP.
“This is yet another step by the Israeli authorities towards rendering a viable Palestinian state impossible, in violation of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination,” he added.
Türk warned that if implemented, the measures would “undoubtedly accelerate the dispossession of Palestinians and their forcible transfer,” while facilitating the expansion of Israeli settlements, which are considered illegal under international law.
He further cautioned that the policies would deprive Palestinians of access to natural resources, restrict fundamental human rights, and deepen Israel’s control over the territory.
“These moves will further cement Israel’s control and integration of the occupied West Bank into Israel, consolidating unlawful annexation,” Türk said.
The UN official also placed the decisions within the broader context of escalating violence and pressure on Palestinians, including increased attacks by Israeli settlers, the use of force by security personnel, and a growing pattern of evictions, home demolitions, and land confiscations.
“We are witnessing rapid steps to permanently change the demography of the occupied Palestinian territory, stripping its people of their land and forcing them to leave,” Türk said. “These decisions must be overturned.”
Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for a “firm response” from the United States and the wider international community, stressing that Israel’s actions constitute a clear breach of international law.
Speaking during an official visit to Oslo on Wednesday, Abbas said he raised the issue with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
“These serious violations require a firm response from the US administration and the international community because they hinder President Donald Trump’s efforts and constitute a violation of international law,” Abbas said.
He also highlighted continued Israeli settler violence and Israel’s freezing of Palestinian funds, which he said further exacerbates the humanitarian and political crisis facing Palestinians.
Germany added its voice to the growing international criticism, with the foreign ministry describing Israel’s move as “a further step towards de facto annexation.”
“Israel remains an occupying power in the West Bank, and as an occupying power it is a violation of international law to build settlements, including transferring certain administrative functions to civilian Israeli authorities,” a German foreign ministry spokesperson said in Berlin.
