Israel will begin contentious West Bank land registration

"Israel will begin a contentious land regulation process in a large part of the occupied West Bank, which could result in Israel gaining control over wide swaths of the area for future development, according to a government decision on Sunday. It paves the way for the resumption of "settlement of land title" processes, which had been frozen in the West Bank since the Mideast War in 1967."

"The Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now said the process likely amounts to a "mega land grab" from Palestinians. "This move is very dramatic and allows the state to gain control of almost all of Area C," said Hagit Ofran, the director of Peace Now's Settlement Watch program. Area C refers to the 60% of the West Bank that is under full Israeli military control, according to agreements reached in the 1990s with the Palestinians."

Israel will restart land registration and "settlement of land title" procedures in large parts of the occupied West Bank, procedures frozen since 1967. The process requires anyone claiming land to submit ownership documents when registration begins for an area. Palestinian and Israeli critics warn the move could transfer control of large tracts, especially in Area C, to the state. The Palestinian Authority called the decision a grave escalation and a de facto annexation and urged international intervention. Recent Israeli measures include expanded settlement construction, legalization of outposts, and bureaucratic policy changes in the territory.

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