Arab states and Palestinian leaders on Monday condemned a series of far-reaching cabinet decisions approved in Israel, warning of an “unprecedented escalation” following moves that deepen Israel’s control over the West Bank and significantly expand settlement authority.
The measures, promoted by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and revealed by ynet, were approved by the security cabinet and are expected to bring sweeping changes to land policy, planning authority and enforcement in the West Bank. Critics say the decisions amount to de facto annexation and undermine existing Israeli-Palestinian agreements.
In a rare joint statement, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan condemned what they described as “illegal Israeli decisions and steps aimed at imposing illegitimate Israeli sovereignty, entrenching settlements and creating a new legal and administrative reality in the West Bank.”
They warned that the moves violate international law and threaten regional stability.
The Palestinian Authority also issued a sharp response. Officials in the office of PA President Mahmoud Abbas said the cabinet’s decisions constituted a “dangerous escalation” and a direct attack on Palestinian existence and historical and national rights.
“These decisions are the practical implementation of annexation and expulsion plans in the West Bank and constitute a violation of the agreements that were signed,” the statement said.
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Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich
(Photo: Noam Moskovitz, Avihu Shapira)
Fatah Central Committee Secretary-General Jibril Rajoub went further, telling the London-based Arabic daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi that Israel had become “a state of new Nazis seeking to erase Palestine, the land, the people, the history and the holy sites.” He called for Israel to be isolated internationally and removed from global institutions, urging Palestinians to unite against the policy.
The European Union also voiced criticism, saying the decisions would further deepen Israel’s hold on the West Bank.
According to details reported by ynet, the cabinet-approved measures are considered legally complex to reverse and are expected to significantly expand Jewish settlement across Judea and Samaria. Among the key steps is the lifting of long-standing confidentiality on West Bank land registries, allowing records to be made public and enabling potential buyers to directly identify and approach landowners.
The cabinet also canceled a law banning land sales to foreigners and abolished the requirement for special transaction permits. Until now, Jews were largely barred from purchasing land directly and had to do so through locally registered companies. Under the new framework, most barriers to land purchases are removed, with transactions requiring only basic professional registration rather than approval from the Civil Administration.
Another major change concerns Hebron. Planning and construction authority for the Jewish settlement in the city, including at the Cave of the Patriarchs, will be transferred from the Hebron municipality, which is under the Palestinian Authority, to Israeli authorities. Similar steps were approved for Rachel’s Tomb, located within Bethlehem’s municipal boundaries, including the establishment of a dedicated Israeli municipal administration for the site and an adjacent yeshiva.
The decisions also authorize Israeli enforcement bodies to act against illegal Palestinian construction even in Area A, a move that until now had been largely restricted to Area B. The policy would allow demolitions and land expropriation in cases involving damage to archaeological or heritage sites.
Security officials have supported most of the measures but warned against immediate implementation in sensitive areas, particularly in Hebron, and recommended delaying steps until after Ramadan. They cautioned that unilateral changes at sites holy to Islam could spark escalation, diplomatic pressure and heightened security tensions.
The Defense Ministry confirmed that the cabinet approved what it called dramatic decisions that fundamentally alter the legal and civilian reality in the West Bank. Katz said the moves reflect a clear policy of strengthening Israel’s hold on the territory and securing the future of settlements. Smotrich said the decisions mark a normalization of life in the West Bank and vowed to continue blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The developments come as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for a visit to Washington, raising questions about international coordination and the broader diplomatic fallout from the cabinet’s actions.