Israel security cabinet approves rules to increase control over West Bank | News
Israeli Security Cabinet Approves Regulations to Strengthen West Bank Control, Prompting Palestinian Outrage
Israel’s security cabinet has approved new regulations aimed at increasing Israeli authority over the occupied West Bank, sparking condemnation from Palestinian officials and neighboring Jordan.
In a statement released Sunday, the Palestinian presidency branded the decision “dangerous,” describing it as an “open Israeli attempt to legalize settlement expansion” and land confiscation. President Mahmoud Abbas’ office called for immediate intervention from both the United States and the United Nations Security Council.
Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs echoed this sentiment, denouncing the measures as efforts to impose “illegal Israeli sovereignty” and deepen settlement activities in the region.
The militant group Hamas urged Palestinians in the West Bank to “intensify the confrontation with the occupation and its settlers.”
Local media in Israel reported that the new measures will facilitate land acquisition for Israeli settlers and enhance the powers of Israeli officials to enforce laws on Palestinians. The West Bank, a territory sought by Palestinians for a future state alongside Gaza and occupied East Jerusalem, remains largely under Israeli military control, with limited self-rule provided in certain areas by the Palestinian Authority.
Israeli news outlets Ynet and Haaretz indicated that key provisions of the new rules include the removal of restrictions preventing private Jewish individuals from purchasing land in the West Bank. Additionally, Israeli authorities may take greater control over managing religious sites and increase enforcement in areas governed by the Palestinian Authority.
Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s far-right Minister of Finance, stated that the administration would persist in efforts to “bury the idea of a Palestinian state.”
Palestinian Vice President Hussein Al-Sheikh criticized the anticipated Israeli actions as a violation of all signed agreements and international law, describing them as a serious escalation and an effort to eliminate political prospects for a two-state solution.
The developments occur just days ahead of an anticipated meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C.
