Silent Annexation: How Is Israel Implementing Annexation in the West Bank Without an Official Announcement?

Nabhan Khreisha

Anyone waiting for Israel to announce its annexation of parts of the West Bank is mistaken. Israel has already begun its gradual, silent annexation, using bureaucratic measures and settlement tools, while keeping the door ajar for the international community. These gradual measures include escalating settlement activity, confiscating land, and demolishing Palestinian facilities. These measures are accompanied by a weakening Palestinian position, with international positions limited to issuing condemnatory statements and calling for a halt to settlement activity, under headlines such as: "Annexation undermines the chances of establishing a definitively independent Palestinian state and pushes the situation toward a long-term apartheid regime." Since Netanyahu's coalition assumed power in late 2022, the West Bank has witnessed an unprecedented escalation in "silent" annexation measures, altering the geopolitics of the West Bank.
Every day, the right-wing Benjamin government announces the annexation of Palestinian land in Area C of the West Bank. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated in a report, "The continued transfer of powers over the West Bank from the military to the government facilitates the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the imposition of Israeli sovereignty over them, or over large parts of them." As part of this silent annexation, settlers and the military have paved dozens of unauthorized roads around settlements and outposts, with the aim of connecting them to each other, while obstructing Palestinian movement. At the same time, the Israeli government is intensifying its services to the settlements, institutionalizing patterns of systematic discrimination, including racial segregation, oppression, control, and other inhumane acts against the Palestinian people.
The policy of silent annexation is embodied on the ground by the construction of bypass roads such as the "Sovereignty Road" and the "Fabric of Life" project, which aim to completely isolate the Al-Eizariya area, east of East Jerusalem, and redirect Palestinian movement from a road that passes through the "Jabal al-Baba" area on the outskirts of Al-Eizariya, all the way to Ramallah. Since the appointment of Bezalel Smotrich as Minister of Finance and an official with broad powers in charge of the Civil Administration, settlement projects have been proposed and approved periodically, without being brought to the political level for discussion, as was the case in the past. As part of the policy of silent annexation, the Civil Administration recently transformed approximately 18,000 dunams of West Bank land into areas designated for "settler grazing," particularly in the Jordan Valley. This is accompanied by systematic displacement of Bedouin communities in the Masafer Yatta area, south of Hebron, and in the Jordan Valley.
There is broad consensus among Israelis on the issue of annexation, but the disagreement among them concerns the area to be annexed. Some support the annexation of only the settlement blocs, while right-wing forces and settlers demand the annexation of all of Area C. This debate coincides with the recent approval by the Israeli Security Cabinet of a decision to register land in Area C, which constitutes 60% of the West Bank. This decision prevents Palestinians from being able to prove ownership of their land and prevents similar land registration procedures implemented by the Palestinian Authority. Furthermore, there are vast areas not owned by Palestinians and registered as "state land" belonging to the Israeli occupation. In parallel, the Israeli government is pushing forward with measures to enact a law that would allow settlers to purchase land in the heart of Palestinian towns and cities in the West Bank. A law was also passed requiring the use of the phrase "Judea and Samaria" as an official term instead of the West Bank.
The Israeli right, which salivated when Trump assumed the presidency for a second term and was optimistic about his support and political cover for annexing the West Bank, was disappointed by such a prospect. This was due to indications of “tension” in US-Israeli relations after the Trump administration took steps that were considered a departure from traditional principles of support for Israel. These steps included the US administration’s bypassing of Israel in agreeing with Hamas to release American prisoner Idan Alexander. This was preceded by an agreement with the Houthis to halt attacks on US ships in exchange for a halt to US attacks on them, without Israel’s knowledge and without America even requesting that the Houthis halt their attacks on Israel. There was also the negotiation between Washington and Tehran over the nuclear program, against Israel’s wishes, followed by Trump’s Gulf trade tour and his meeting with Syrian President Sharaa, also against Israel’s wishes.
In light of this, there are several scenarios for imposing Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, or over parts of it, officially, which differ in their methods and repercussions:
(1) The partial formal annexation of Area C, which comprises approximately 60% of the West Bank and is currently under Israeli security and administrative control under the Oslo Accords. This scenario is likely to materialize if the Trump administration does not oppose it or maintains a neutral position, due to pressure from the Israeli lobby, Christian Zionist institutions, and the Republican Party. However, it will face strong international opposition, particularly from the European Union and Arab countries. The implications of this scenario include the potential collapse of the Palestinian Authority and potential protests by Palestinians that could erupt into street violence.
(2) De facto annexation without an official declaration (the policy of fait accompli), through Israel's continued settlement expansion, land confiscation, legalization of outposts, and land registration without issuing an official declaration of annexation. This scenario is currently being implemented and is less diplomatically costly because it does not directly provoke the international community. However, its repercussions include the erosion of the two-state solution, the creation of a broader structural apartheid regime, the stifling of Palestinian development, and the construction of a permanent reality of control without political representation for Palestinians.
(3) Annexing only the major settlement blocs, by imposing sovereignty over areas such as Ma'ale Adumim, Gush Etzion, Ariel, and Modi'in Illit, while leaving the rest of the West Bank for future negotiations. This scenario has already received implicit support from some international powers, and may be presented as a "middle" solution within a broader settlement plan. However, its repercussions would render the future Palestinian state (if it were to emerge) geographically unconnected, and it would also strengthen the position of the Palestinian opposition, as it would cut off the most important economic and geographical areas from the West Bank.
(4) A comprehensive annexation of the entire West Bank, officially to Israel, including Areas A and B. However, this is unlikely in the near future due to the demographic weight of the Palestinians (approximately 3 million people), which requires redefining "citizenship," either by granting citizenship to Palestinians or imposing an official apartheid regime. The possible repercussions of this scenario include the final end of the two-state solution, widespread confrontations, and massive international and human rights pressure and diplomatic isolation for Israel.
(5) Annexation within an interim agreement with the Palestinian Authority or a third country, through an agreement that may be concluded with the Palestinian Authority (or under international auspices) that recognizes Israel's control over some areas in exchange for political and economic settlements. However, the likelihood is slim given the current political situation and internal Palestinian division. Among the repercussions of this scenario is that it may face widespread Palestinian popular rejection, in addition to undermining the historical justice of the Palestinian people.
The scenario currently being implemented by Israel is "de facto annexation without an official declaration," by taking steps to impose sovereignty over the territory through gradual bureaucratic and settlement tools. Other scenarios depend on the balance of political power within Israel, the American position, and regional and international developments.


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As part of the policy of silent annexation, the Civil Administration recently transformed approximately 18,000 dunams of West Bank land into areas designated for "settler grazing," particularly in the Jordan Valley. This is accompanied by systematic displacement of Bedouin communities in the Masafer Yatta area and the Jordan Valley.