Israeli Cabinet approves decisions to legitimize annexation and accelerate settlement in the West Bank

The Israeli Ministerial Committee for Political and Security Affairs (the Cabinet) approved a set of decisions described as dramatic, aimed at accelerating settlement operations in the occupied West Bank. These measures include lifting legal restrictions that prevented the sale of Palestinian properties to Israelis, in addition to giving the green light for demolition operations in areas under Palestinian control, which is considered a clear violation of signed agreements.

Defense and Finance Ministers, Yoav Gallant and Bezalel Smotrich, announced in a joint statement that these steps will radically change the legal and civil reality in the West Bank. The ministers explained that the decisions aim to remove bureaucratic and legal obstacles that have existed for decades, including the annulment of Jordanian legislation that prevented non-Arabs from owning land in the region, and declassifying land registry records to facilitate access for Palestinian owners.

In a move that enhances direct control, the Cabinet decided to transfer licensing and construction powers in Hebron from the Palestinian municipality to the Israeli Civil Administration. This measure undermines local Palestinian institutions and grants settlers in the heart of the city an independent municipal entity that manages their affairs independently of the Palestinian administrative mechanisms in place since the Hebron Agreement of 1997.

The decisions also included the complete transfer of the administration of Rachel's Tomb complex in Bethlehem to Israeli authorities, separating it administratively from the Bethlehem municipality. According to informed sources, this administration will undertake all service tasks, including cleaning, maintenance, and gardening, which reinforces the geographical and administrative separation of religious and archaeological sites within Palestinian cities in favor of Israeli control.

Press reports indicated that these moves come within the framework of Gallant and Smotrich's efforts to impose a de facto annexation on the ground before the Israeli elections scheduled for next October. These decisions allow the Israeli army to carry out demolition operations in areas (A) and (B), which represents a fundamental breach of the Oslo Accords that granted the Palestinian Authority broad civil and security powers in those areas.

For its part, the Settlement Council in the West Bank welcomed these steps, describing them as the most important since 1967. The council stated in an official statement that the Israeli government has practically declared that the land belongs to the Jewish people, emphasizing that these decisions enshrine de facto Israeli sovereignty and end decades of hesitation in determining the fate of the occupied territories.

This approval comes at a sensitive political time, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to visit the United States to meet President Donald Trump. Israeli sources stated that pushing these decisions at this time aims to establish new facts on the ground, amidst fears of a change in American positions towards some regional issues and negotiations related to the region.

These decisions were not presented to the full Israeli government for approval, but rather were passed through the mini-Cabinet to ensure rapid implementation and avoid potential internal opposition or international pressure. Observers believe that this step represents the final blow to what remains of the two-state solution, as it ends the administrative distinction between Palestinian areas and settlements.

On the ground, these decisions are expected to lead to a widespread wave of demolitions of Palestinian buildings that Israel claims were built without permits in Palestinian-controlled areas. It will also open the door to unprecedented settlement expansion through land purchase deals that were previously legally stalled, which will lead to the final fragmentation of Palestinian geographical contiguity.

These decisions are the most important in 58 years, and the Israeli government today establishes its de facto sovereignty over the land.