Israel Seizes Over 112 Acres of Palestinian Land in West Bank for Settlement Expansion

West Bank, MINA – Israel has seized more than 112 acres (approximately 455.6 dunams) of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank to expand illegal settlement activity, according to a statement released Tuesday by the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC).

The confiscated land is located in the northern West Bank towns of Jit and Far’ata, east of Qalqilya, and in Tell, west of Nablus. Israeli authorities have declared the area as “state land,” a legal designation used to claim Palestinian territory for settlement construction.

The area in question includes the illegal outpost of Havat Gilad, which was originally established in 2003. The CWRC stated that this move is part of efforts to legalize the outpost, a goal that the Israeli government has openly endorsed.

This latest land seizure comes amid ongoing discussions within the Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, about the potential annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank.

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Just last month, Israel approved the controversial E1 settlement plan, a project widely criticized for threatening to split the West Bank in half. If implemented, it would isolate East Jerusalem and severely hinder the territorial continuity of a future Palestinian state.

The international community, including the United Nations, considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion undermines the viability of the two-state solution.

Since the outbreak of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, violence has surged across the West Bank. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 1,016 Palestinians have been killed and over 7,000 injured by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank alone.

In July, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal, calling for the removal of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. []

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)