Israel to Expand Administrative Authority in West Bank, Ease Jewish Land Purchases

Israel is set to expand its administrative authority in the occupied West Bank and lift longstanding restrictions on Jewish citizens purchasing land in the territory, according to Israeli media reports.

The measures, approved by Israel’s security cabinet, would revoke regulations that have limited Jewish land ownership in the West Bank for decades. The new directives also grant Israeli authorities broader powers to enforce regulations related to environmental protection, water management and the safeguarding of archaeological sites in areas where the Palestinian Authority currently exercises limited control.

Israeli officials described the steps as administrative changes, though critics say they could significantly alter the status quo in the territory and further entrench Israeli control.

The West Bank has been under Israeli military occupation since the 1967 Middle East war and is considered by Palestinians as the core of a future independent state. Israeli settlement activity there is widely regarded by the international community as illegal under international law, a position Israel disputes.

Palestinian officials condemned the move, warning it could amount to de facto annexation of parts of the West Bank and further undermine prospects for a two-state solution. They called on the international community to intervene to halt what they described as unilateral actions.

Israel’s current government includes parties that advocate expanding Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said that Israel must maintain security control over the territory, arguing that the creation of a fully sovereign Palestinian state would pose risks to Israel’s security.

The measures come amid heightened regional tensions and renewed international concern over the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has remained largely stalled for years.