Israel to Restart Land Registration in the West Bank Area

Israeli Government Approves Land Registration Plan for Occupied West Bank

The Israeli government has approved a plan to begin land registration in Area C of the occupied West Bank, which is under complete Israeli control. The move will allow the state to seize land from Palestinians who cannot prove ownership and register it as property of the state.

Area C, covering approximately 60% of the West Bank, is the part of the territory that remains under direct Israeli control. The plan is a continuation of Israel’s settlement expansion efforts in the region, which have been ongoing for several decades.

The Palestinian Authority has described the decision as “de facto annexation” of the West Bank. The land registration process will apply to Area C, where about 58% of the land remains unregistered. Experts warn that the process may involve transferring legal ownership of land to the Israeli state and issuing evictions to Palestinian communities.

The plan is based on a system used during Jordanian control of the West Bank from 1949 to 1967, under which land was registered as state or private property. However, only about one-third of the land in the West Bank was formally registered at that time. Many Palestinians living in the region had no documentation or means of proving ownership.

The Israeli government has provided few details on how the process will unfold, but it is expected to involve a transfer of legal ownership and potential evictions. The move has been condemned by many Israeli human rights groups and political analysts, who describe it as a “de facto annexation” of Palestinian territory.

Source: Al Jazeera