Israel has enacted bold measures to strengthen its authority across the occupied West Bank, just as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for a Washington visit this week.
The security cabinet approved these steps on Sunday, broadening state powers over land deals and enforcement in the territory—earmarked by the UN and world leaders for a Palestinian state.
Key changes revive the Land Acquisition Committee for settlement expansion and push Israeli policing into Areas A and B, 40 per cent of the West Bank under Oslo Accords Palestinian control.
In Hebron, Jewish settlers and civil authorities gain building rights without Palestinian input. Settlers also face eased land purchases to embed Jewish communities further.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich praised the shift. “We are normalising life in the territories, removing bureaucratic barriers, fighting for the land, and deepening our presence throughout the Land of Israel.” He vowed, “We will continue to extinguish the idea of a Palestinian state.”
A Trump administration official rejected annexation. “As the President has clearly stated, he does not support Israel annexing the West Bank.”
“A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration’s goal to achieve peace in the region,” they added.
The Palestinian Authority slammed the moves as “a continuation of the comprehensive war waged by the occupation government against the Palestinian people and an unprecedented escalation targeting the Palestinian presence and its national and historical rights across all Palestinian land,” calling it “the practical implementation of annexation and displacement plans.”
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the decisions “confirm its colonial programme aimed at swallowing all Palestinian land and displacing its indigenous people.”
Since capturing the West Bank from Jordan in 1967, Israel has built settlements deemed illegal internationally. Trump warned in October’s Time interview, “It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries,” adding, “Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened.”
Yet critics see de facto annexation in ongoing expansions, including last May’s 22 new settlements. Peace Now charged, “Netanyahu promised to dismantle Hamas in Gaza, but in practice he chose to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, annul agreements Israel itself signed, and impose de facto annexation—in complete contradiction to the will of the people, Israel’s national interest, and the clear position of President Trump.”