Experts: Israel Imposes New Reality in West Bank by Undermining Agreements and Dismantling Laws

The Israeli Ministerial Committee for Political and Security Affairs (the Cabinet) approved a series of escalatory decisions aimed at changing the legal and civil reality in the occupied West Bank. These moves are intended to tighten direct Israeli control and undermine the limited Palestinian authorities affirmed by previous international agreements. These steps come within the context of the de facto policy pursued by the far-right government.

The new decisions included the annulment of Jordanian law, which had been in effect for decades, prohibiting the sale of land in the West Bank to Jews, in addition to declassifying land registries. This measure represents a radical shift that facilitates the seizure of Palestinian properties and their transfer to settlers. It also reflects an Israeli desire to remove historical legal obstacles that protected Palestinian land ownership.

In another aggressive move, the occupation authorities decided to transfer building permit powers in the settlement bloc in Hebron from the Palestinian municipality to the Israeli Civil Administration. This decision directly affects Palestinian administrative sovereignty in one of the most tense cities. The decisions also included transferring planning powers in the vicinity of the Ibrahimi Mosque and other religious sites to planning institutions affiliated with the occupation.

The Israeli government expanded oversight and enforcement powers to include areas classified as (A) and (B), which are areas that are supposed to be administratively under the Palestinian Authority according to the Oslo Accords. The occupation authorities justified this encroachment by citing violations related to unlicensed construction, water issues, and the protection of archaeological sites. This decision allows for widespread demolition and confiscation operations deep within Palestinian residential areas.

Hassan Breijieh, head of the International Law Unit at the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, affirmed that these decisions represent a blatant violation of international law and the rules of the Fourth Geneva Convention. He explained that Israel is acting as an occupying power, exploiting absolute American support and current Arab weakness to implement displacement plans. He pointed out that the occupation seeks to impose 'creeping annexation' on the ground after the impossibility of officially canceling international agreements.

Breijieh stressed that Israel does not have the legal right to annul treaties that resulted in a new territory, such as the Oslo Accords, even in cases of declared war. He also noted that Jordanian laws that were applied before 1967 remain the legal reference for the occupied territory under international law. He considered what is happening to be an attempt to gauge international reactions in preparation for more dangerous steps.

For his part, political expert Suleiman Bisharat believed that Israel is using military force to impose a new reality that transcends all existing legal and political concepts. He explained that control over land is no longer linked to legal justifications, but rather to the occupation's ability to impose its will on the ground. He added that the far-right current aims to build a 'Jewish state' over the entire geographical area of the West Bank.

Bisharat warned that what is happening is a systematic dismantling of the legal and political structure on which the Palestinian presence in the West Bank is based. He considered that Israel is disregarding all international treaties that recognize it as an occupying state, to present itself as the sole guardian of the land. This shift places the Palestinian national project before existential challenges that require a comprehensive reformulation of the relationship with the occupation.

Field data indicates that these decisions coincide with an unprecedented escalation in settler and Israeli army attacks since the start of the aggression on the Gaza Strip. Palestinian institutions have recorded the martyrdom of more than 1112 citizens in the West Bank and Jerusalem, in addition to thousands of injured and detained. These numbers reflect the extent of pressure exerted on Palestinians to push them towards forced displacement and abandonment of their lands.

Observers believe that the annulment of Jordanian laws and the transfer of administrative powers represent the 'coup de grâce' for the two-state solution advocated by the United Nations. The Oslo divisions of areas (A, B, C) are practically fading with the entry of Israeli bulldozers to demolish homes deep within Palestinian cities. This reality imposes on the Palestinian leadership the need to take decisive political decisions commensurate with the magnitude of the looming threat.

Expert Bisharat called for the necessity of redefining the relationship with the occupation and implementing previous national decisions related to disengaging from the obligations of the Oslo Accords. He stressed that relying on international laws alone is no longer sufficient in light of American complicity and the implicit acceptance of some international parties. What is currently required is to build a comprehensive national confrontation strategy that strengthens the steadfastness of citizens on their land.

On the regional level, there is a need for urgent Arab and international action to stop the Israeli encroachment that threatens the stability of the entire region. The annulment of Jordanian laws directly affects the historical and legal status that Jordan defends in international forums. The international community's silence on these measures gives the occupation a green light to continue seizing land and destroying the foundations of the future Palestinian state.

Area (C), which constitutes about 61% of the West Bank, is currently the main arena for legal and field conflict. With the expansion of Israeli powers to include areas (A) and (B), there is no longer any safe place from confiscation or demolition. This policy aims to confine Palestinians to isolated enclaves surrounded by settlements and military bases.

In conclusion, Palestinian political will remains the key to confronting these schemes through unifying ranks and activating popular and legal resistance. The battle of laws that Israel is waging today is an integral part of the comprehensive war of extermination targeting identity, land, and people. This project can only be confronted with a solid national stance that enjoys genuine Arab and international support beyond condemnation statements.

Israel, as an occupying state, now presents itself as the guardian of Palestinian land, owning this land and planning and shaping its future features.