BTN News: In a big move, the Israeli government has taken a large area of land in the West Bank. This is the biggest land grab since the Oslo Accords of 1993. The Israeli group Peace Now said this.
On June 25th, the Israeli Civil Administration, which handles civil matters in the West Bank, declared 1,270 hectares in the Jordan Valley near Jericho as state land. But the official notice came out only on Wednesday, as Peace Now reported.
Peace Now, an NGO that watches Israeli settlements, criticized this decision. They said it makes it harder to create a Palestinian state next to Israel. They noted this action follows many announcements making 2024 the biggest year for Israeli land grabs in Palestinian territory since 1993.
The NGO’s report also said that declaring land as state property is a main way Israel tries to control the occupied areas. These lands are no longer seen as private Palestinian property. CNN asked the Israeli Civil Administration’s spokesperson to comment on Peace Now’s claims but has not received a reply.
Higher Planning Council of Israel Approves Thousands of New Residences in West Bank
On Monday, Israel’s Higher Planning Council, which approves new housing in the West Bank, said it would approve thousands of new homes in many Israeli settlements, Peace Now said.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also has a key role in the Defense Ministry dealing with civil matters in the occupied West Bank, praised this move in a message on X (formerly Twitter). “Building the good land and stopping the formation of a Palestinian state. The MTA meets this morning to approve over 5,000 homes,” he wrote, using the acronym for the Higher Planning Council.
Smotrich has spoken against the occupied West Bank becoming part of an independent Palestinian state. This was revealed in leaked audio from a speech he gave in June.
Widespread Condemnation After Announcement of Legal Recognition of Unauthorized Settlements
This news follows many condemnations towards Israel after the Finance Minister announced plans to legally recognize five unauthorized Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank on Sunday.
