The government on Sunday approved the launch of a land registration process in the West Bank for the first time since 1967, advancing measures that have drawn international criticism, including accusations of “de facto annexation.”
The proposal was submitted by Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Finance Minister and minister within the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich, and Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Under the decision, large areas in the West Bank defined as state land will be formally registered in the name of the state. The Justice Ministry’s Land Registration and Settlement of Rights Authority will be authorized to carry out the process and will receive dedicated funding and staffing.
A government statement said the move would allow for “transparent and thorough clarification of property rights,” help resolve legal disputes and enable regulated infrastructure development and land marketing. It described the decision as a response to what it called unlawful land registration efforts by the Palestinian Authority in Area C, which under interim agreements remains under full Israeli control.
The measure was among several approved by the security cabinet last week ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. The decisions have prompted sharp reactions in Western capitals and across the Arab world.
The United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Jordan criticized the move. Britain condemned it, and Germany said it amounted to “de facto annexation.”
Despite the backlash, the government has continued advancing the process.
Katz described the renewal of land registration as a necessary security and governance measure. “Regulating land prevents unilateral actions, reduces illegal takeover attempts and undermines terrorist infrastructure that destabilizes security,” he said, adding that the step would provide legal and operational certainty for the military and security establishment.
Smotrich said the decision marked a continuation of efforts to strengthen settlement and control throughout the territory. “For the first time since the Six-Day War, we are restoring order and governance in land management in Judea and Samaria,” he said, using the biblical term for the West Bank. He added that regulated land settlement would reduce disputes, create legal clarity and prevent unilateral steps.
Levin called the move “a real revolution in Judea and Samaria” and said the government is committed to deepening its hold on all parts of the land.
The 1997 Hebron Protocol, signed as part of interim agreements with the Palestinians, outlined arrangements for authority and control in parts of the West Bank. Critics argue the new measures contradict the spirit of those understandings.