Katz and Smotrich are leading a destructive - Settlement Escalation - sweeping the West Bank.

By: Madeeha Al-A’raj
The ‘National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements stated in its latest weekly report , that Settler leaders are turning their expansionist ambitions and long-held aspirations of seizing Palestinian land into official Israeli policy. This shift is reflected in the rapidly unfolding developments across the occupied West Bank. Most recently, the Israeli government approved the allocation of NIS 244.1 million over the next 3 years to establish a mechanism for land registration and settlement procedures in Area C of the West Bank. The decision complements its May 2025 decision, which tasked relevant personnel with preparing for the commencement of land settlement procedures in the West Bank. According to several estimates, implementing these land settlement procedures in Area C risks the widespread displacement of Palestinians from approximately 83% of the area about 50% of the West Bank after its registration in the name of the state.
This is particularly concerning given that the process requires landowners to prove their ownership under conditions that are difficult for them to meet. If they fail to do so, the land will be automatically registered as state land, a clear indication of sovereignty and annexation ‘an act prohibited for any occupying power under international law. The aim of this move is to settle 15% of the area within five years. It should be noted that the lands, which the occupation authorities classify as ‘state lands’, are mostly privately owned by citizens who have traditionally cultivated them, and a large portion of these lands are registered in their names with the tax authorities.
The most striking of the Israeli move is that its implementation has been entrusted to sovereign ministries: the Ministry of Justice Yariv Levin’, the Ministry of Finance Smotrich, and the Ministry of Army Yisrael Katzm which means that the decision to settle and register the lands constitutes a clear annexation and an attack on international law and the rights of Palestinians. It also represents a real test of the position of the US administration and President Donald Trump himself, and his pledges to a number of Arab and Islamic countries that he would not allow such a move by the Israeli government.
This move came just a week after the approval of measures facilitating Jewish land purchases in the West Bank, by repealing a Jordanian law that prohibited them from doing so. In the occupied territories, Yisrael Katz, Smotrich, and Yariv Levin claimed in a joint statement that the decision constitutes ‘an appropriate response to illegal settlement procedures being pushed forward by the Palestinian Authority in Area C, in violation of the law and agreements.’
Katz considered the resumption of land settlement a vital sovereign security step aimed at ensuring full control, enforcement, and freedom of action for the State of Israel in the area. Smotrich asserted that the decision comes within the context of what he called a settlement revolution and holding fast to all parts of our land, and that for the first time since the Six-Day War, we are restoring order and sovereignty to the administration of land in Judea and Samaria i.e. the West Bank. Levin described the decision as a true revolution in Judea and Samaria, that the Land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel, and that the government is committed to deepening its hold on all its parts.
The Palestinian leadership, along with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan, condemned this Israeli move, which aims to deepen control over the West Bank. They affirmed that such measures are null and void under international law, constituting the de facto beginning of the annexation process, undermining the foundations of a Palestinian state, and flagrantly violating international treaties. The EU, for its part, called on Israel to reverse its decision, considering it contrary to UN resolutions and the two-state solution.
The EU spokesperson reiterated the EU s non-recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories and stated that annexation violates international law. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation also warned of the seriousness of this move, deeming the Israeli decision invalid under international law and UN resolutions. It further stated that the decision deepens settlement activity and annexation, alters the legal, political, and demographic status of the occupied Palestinian territory, and undermines the two-state solution.
Eighty countries at the United Nations condemned the Israeli government s decision. UN Secretary-General Antó-;-nio Guterres called on Israel to immediately reverse its new measures, stating that such actions, including the continued Israeli presence in the occupied Palestinian territories, not only destabilize the region but are also, as the International Court of Justice has affirmed, illegal and undermine the prospects for a two-state solution. US President Trump had previously expressed his opposition to Israel s annexation of the West Bank, arguing that stability in the territories contributes to Israel s security. However, Trump refrained from -dir-ectly criticizing the recent Israeli measures despite the wave of international outrage.
Meanwhile, settlement activity continued in several West Bank governorates, including Jerusalem. On Feb 3, a development agreement was signed between the Ministry of Construction and Housing, the Ministry of Finance, and the so-called Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, aimed at bolstering a large-scale planning and development process for the Adam Geva Binyamin settlement northeast of Jerusalem. Under the agreement, about NIS 120 million are expected to be invested in the settlement s infrastructure, along with a comprehensive upgrade of infrastructure, transportation, public facilities, and community institutions.
The agreement includes government funding for infrastructure to build approximately 6,000 additional housing units in the settlement. The development plan for this settlement effectively entails the creation of a new neighborhood in Jerusalem, expanding the settlement into the West Bank for the first time since 1967, without any geographical´-or--function-al contiguity between the targeted area and the settlement. As part of the overall development of the settlement, approximately 500 housing units were marketed in the first phase, with development to continue according to the approved marketing phases and plans.
The agreement includes extensive development of public and recreational spaces, including the construction of a new sports and leisure complex, parks, and open public areas, with a budget of approximately NIS 29 million. It also includes future preparations for the establishment of educational and public institutions, with an investment of NIS 18 million for excavation and infrastructure development in preparation for the construction of kindergartens and schools.
As officially extending Jerusalem s municipal boundaries into the West Bank constitutes formal annexation, the plan was designed to classify it as a neighborhood of the Adam settlement, not as an official part of Jerusalem. In reality, however, there is no actual connection between the Adam settlement and the new settlement area, as they are separated by the separation barrier and Route 437.
According to the Peace Now movement, this is the first time since 1967 that Jerusalem has been extended into the West Bank. The movement adds: Under the guise of establishing a new settlement, the Israeli government is carrying out de facto annexation through the back door. The new settlement will -function- in every way as a Jerusalem neighborhood, and designating it as a neighborhood of the Adam settlement is merely a pretext to disguise a move that effectively applies Israeli sovereignty.
We note here the efforts to expand and develop the Adam settlement itself. Over the past 5 years, tenders have been issued for the construction of 1,089 housing units in the settlement, and new plans for 700 additional units have been approved. In Dec 2025, the Central Command chief signed an order to expand the settlement eastward to include 1,107 dunams. The expansion will retroactively legalize the illegal outpost of Bnei Adam and add thousands of housing units to the settlement.
In addition to these developments, several violent pastoral outposts have been established in recent years near the settlement. These outposts have led to the displacement of residents of the village of Barit Hazma and have launched numerous attacks on the neighboring Bedouin village of Jaba’.
The destructive settlement activities of the occupation authorities are not-limit-ed to expanding settlements around Jerusalem´-or-to the annexation plans implied in the recent decisions of the Israeli government. Rather, they encompass the entire West Bank in the most extensive assault it has faced since the beginning of 2026. The Salfeet Governorate has borne a significant share of the current settlement onslaught targeting the West Bank, becoming the second most targeted governorate after Jerusalem for settlement expansion and Judaization.
According to several data points and settlement maps, the occupation authorities approved 41 new settlement master plans in 2025 on the governorate s lands. Tenders were issued for the construction of 10,098 new settlement units in several areas, including 730 units in the Ariel settlement, located more than two kilometers from the existing settlement. This indicates the occupation s intention to establish a new settlement, without officially announcing it.
The tenders are inevitably accompanied by land confiscations. At the beginning of this year, the occupation authorities, under the pretext of state land, seized 694 dunams of Palestinian-owned land in the towns of Kafr Thulth, Deir Istiya, and Bidya.
That was done through the Custodian of Government and Absentee Property, who designated the land as government´-or-state property. This clearly falls within the framework of the occupation s plan to establish a new settlement bloc east of Qalqila, specifically south of the settlement of Karnei Shomron, under the name ‘Dorot’. That coincides with ongoing land-clearing operations on Palestinian-owned land in the Ras area, northwest of Salfeet, and continuous incursions into the villages of Yasuf, Kafr Haris, Kafr ad-Dik, Qarawat Bani Hassan, and the Bedya town.
Noting that 40 settlements and settlement blocs, the largest of which is Ariel, are located within the governorate s lands. Additionally, 4 settlement industrial zones, covering approximately 2,037 dunams, are situated within the governorate s territory: the Barkan Industrial Zone 1,130 dunams, the Ariel Industrial Zone, 647 dunams, the Ali Zahav Industrial Zone, 223 dunams, and the Elkana Industrial Zone, 37 dunams.
In Hebron, the Minister of Economy in the occupation government, Nir Barkat, recently announced plans to establish a settlement industrial complex south of Hebron on an area of 2,400 dunams located in a strategic location on the seam line, north of Beer Al-Sabea. The Ministry of Economy and Industry has so far invested NIS 12 million in planning procedures, and an additional investment request worth NIS 35 million is expected to be presented to the Development Committee for discussion, according to the ministry s procedures, with the aim of starting development work, with the project to be completed as soon as possible in 2026.
Nir Barkat said, ‘Today we are building the southern gateway to Judea and Samaria, the West Bank. The establishment of a massive industrial park spanning 2,400 dunams in the Hebron Hills is clear proof that a strong economy in Judea and Samaria, the West Bank is a national and security interest. We are investing tens of millions in immediate development to ensure the continued prosperity and growth of the settlements for generations to come.
Eliram Azulay, head of the Hebron Settlements Council, added this is a significant day for the settlements. The employment zone will form a vital economic pillar, attracting investments and job opportunities to the Hebron Hills. This is the optimal way to develop the settlements in Judea and Samaria, and the Hebron Hills in particular.
In Hebron as well, the occupation army sends its forces to the southern Hebron hills to prevent Palestinians from plowing and planting their lands. This army has sent its soldiers many times at the beginning of winter to prevent Palestinians from cultivating their lands in response to the settlers’ request, according to what the Haaretz newspaper reported on 11 this month. The expression “obstructing plowing has become widespread in the army and among the settlers to describe these military operations.
The newspaper pointed out that the occupation army instructs its soldiers that plowing agricultural lands is not permitted anywhere in the southern Hebron Hills, as it is considered a closed military zone. The army forces also use crowd control methods to keep farmers away and detain those who try to cultivate their land for long hours. Farmers must plow their lands at the beginning of winter in order to prepare them for planting, otherwise they will not harvest crops in the spring. Preventing plowing damages the crop, while preventing farmers from accessing and cultivating their lands for a long period leads to Palestinian farmers losing ownership of their lands, which appear abandoned, leading the occupation authorities to declare them ‘state lands’.
List of Israeli Assaults over the Last Week Documented by the National Bureau:

Jerusalem:
- Handing over new demolition ordes in the Bedouin communities of Wadi al-Awaj and Wadi Sa ab, east of Jerusalem, and ordered the evacuation and demolition of more than 20 homes and residential, agricultural, and commercial structures in the Wa ar al-Beik area of Anata, claiming they were built without permits.
- Forcing Samir Aliyan Arar to demolish his own home, also citing the lack of a building permit in the Jabal al-Mukabber. Simultaneously, 40 demolition notices were issued for homes in Anata.
- Issuing notices to remove hundreds of trees, claiming that they are located in the buffer zone adjacent to the Apartheid Wall in the town of Sur Baher. They also demolished a number of agricultural facilities in Arab al-Jahalin. Forced the family of elderly Jerusalemite Ahmed Khader to demolish their own home in the town of Sur Baher, south of occupied Jerusalem, after being notified by the Israeli occupation authorities of the demolition two weeks ago. This was done to avoid the demolition of the house by the occupation bulldozers and the payment of a sum of NIS 80,000 shekels if the self-demolition was not carried out.
- Seizing a land in the town of Beit Hanina, under a seizure order, about 286 square meters, under the pretext of military purposes. The targeted land is located inside the apartheid wall in the Dahiyat al-Barid area, opposite the Ram gate.
- Injuring 4 Palestinians in an attack by settlers. Three sustained gunshot wounds, one of them very serious, and were taken to the hospital in the village of Mikhmas. The fourth injury resulted from an assault by Israeli occupation forces in the village.
- Storming the outskirts of the village and stole dozens of sheep from Palestinian farms. Nearby, settlers also raised the flag of the Temple Mount groups at a new settlement outpost on Palestinian land.
Hebron:
- Handing orders of seizure for the archaeological site of Tell Ma in in Masafer Yatta, with the aim of constructing a military tower there. This action was supported by Ben-Gvir, who issued instructions to do so under the pretext of securing the settlers who continue to storm the site to perform their Talmudic prayers. The land belongs to the Hamamda family and is located just tens of meters from their homes.
- Stealing a Palestinian vehicle belonging to Shaddad Hamamda in the Huwara area of Masafer Yatta. Settlers also attempted to steal an agricultural vehicle in the nearby Khallat al-Homs area before fleeing towards the settlements.
- Attacking shepherds from the Abu Ubaid family in the village of al-Taban, pelting them with stones and attempting to steal their herd of livestock.
- Releasing their cattle and camels onto Palestinian-owned land in the Ashkara and Khirbet al-Markaz areas of Masafer Yatta, causing damage to crops and trees and injuring residents property.
- Handing orders to demolish four houses belonging to: Ahmed Mahmoud Mustafa Al-Rajoub, Muhammad Mahmoud Musa Al-Rajoub, and Hani Mustafa Al-Rajoub in the village of Al-Koum, west of Hebron.
- Uprooting dozens of olive trees along the bypass road in the town of Idhna, west of Hebron, and issued notices to uproot thousands of trees along the apartheid wall. They also bulldozed large areas of Palestinian-owned land at the town s entrance adjacent to bypass road number 35.
- Burning dozens of sheep in the town of As-Samu in a new escalation against Palestinian farmers in the area, causing significant losses for farmers who rely on sheep farming as a primary source of income. In the Al-Hara iq area, adjacent to the Hagai settlement.
- Demolishing a residential building belonging to the Muhammad Salhab family, housing more than 40 people, despite their possession of all legal documents, including a title deed proving their ownership of the land. They had appealed the demolition orders to the Israeli court. Additionally, notices were issued to demolish four houses in the village of Al-Koum, west of Hebron, belonging to members of the Rajoub family.
- Forcing 10 families to leave their homes as a result of the ongoing harassment they were subjected to in the Al-Sawana area between Al-Dhahiriya and Al-Ramadin,.
Bethlehem:
- Storming the village of Rashayda and the Khala’il al-Luz area east of Bethlehem, grazing their sheep in Palestinian-owned crops and causing damage. Other settlers also stormed the Wadi Saif area in the town of Beit Fajjar, south of Bethlehem, though no injuries were reported.
- Demolishing a car parts store owned by Murad Hussein Issa in Beit Jala,. They also issued stop-work orders for 15 homes in the Masabih area, east of Tuqu’, claiming they lacked permits.
- Issuing stop-work orders for more than 20 homes in the Halqum area, southwest of Tuqu’.
- Demolishing a two-story residential building in the Ard al-Deir area of al-Khader town, claiming it was built without a permit, and issued notices of land confiscation in Bethlehem in preparation for paving a settler road linking the Givat Eitam settlement outpost, built on Khallat al-Nahla lands to the south, to the Tekoa settlement, passing through Khallat al-Nahla, Khallat al-Qattan, and Khala il al-Lawz lands, and adjacent to the military hospital.
Ramallah:
- Fencing off land in the eastern plain of Al-Mughayyir and allowed their livestock to graze on Palestinian-owned land under the protection of Israeli occupation forces.
- Attacking the home of Ali Jumaa Badha in the western part of Deir Ammar village and the Tel Al-Asur area between Deir Jarir village and Silwad town.
- Demolishing an agricultural structure belonging to Nizar Shalash in the Shuqba town.
- Expanding an outpost in Turmusaya town, while others abducted Rashid Fayez Arara from Rammun town and handed him over to Israeli forces.
- Injuring 3 young men, women, and children during clashes with Israeli forces and settlers who attacked Palestinian homes on the outskirts of the town.
- Stealing sheep belonging to residents after vandalizing and destroying property in agricultural rooms and sheep pens in an attack on the Yabrud village.
Nablus:
- Attacking Palestinian homes in the Al-Harayeq and Bir Quza areas of Jabal Sabih in the town of Beita, while others stole a horse belonging to Aziz Antari from the plains of Deir Sharaf village.
- Attacking a house and assaulted a resident with a sharp object, according to Qusra Mayor Hani Odeh in the Ras al-Ain area of Qusra. They also smashed windows in another house.
- Storming the Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya Girls Secondary School during school hours, filming inside the school and threatening the teaching staff. This was followed by an Israeli army raid on the village immediately after the settlers left the school.
Salfeet:
- Bulldozing Palestinian-owned land in the Al-Qa da area of Wadi Musleh north of Deir Istiya.
- Demolishing a two-story house belonging to Anas Mar i in the town of Qarawat Bani Hassan, claiming it was built without a permit.
Jordan Valley:
- Fencing off 1,500 dunams of land in the Khirbet Samra area of the northern Jordan Valley, according to Mahdi Daraghmeh, head of the Al-Malih village council. The targeted land is legally registered and was previously inhabited by six Palestinian families from the Al-Masa id clan, who were forced to leave a year ago due to ongoing settler attacks.
- Forcing families to leave their homes, with 15 families beginning to dismantle their dwellings due to the escalating settler violence in the Al-Malih area. Seven other families were forced to leave the nearby Al-Mayta community a few days ago due to continued settler attacks.
- Attacking Palestinian citizens and their livestock in the Wadi Abu al-Hayat area west of al-Auja, releasing their herds onto the citizens sheep, causing damage to farms and livestock.

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