Israel Reopens West Bank Land Registry After 59 Years

Israel's government has made a significant decision to reopen land registration procedures in Area C of the West Bank for the first time since 1967, a move announced by Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and Defense Minister Israel Katz. The decision comes as part of broader efforts to help property acquisition by Jewish Israelis in the occupied territory, though it has triggered swift international criticism from the United Nations, multiple countries, and Palestinian leadership.

Area C comprises roughly 60 percent of the West Bank and has been under Israeli control since the 1967 war. The reopening of the land registry means Israel will now formally register extensive areas as state property, a process that has been frozen for nearly six decades.

Background

The decision follows an earlier Israeli cabinet action from May 2025 and builds on measures approved last week to increase Israeli civilian authority in Areas A and B of the West Bank, which together make up about 40 percent of the territory. Israeli officials argue the move is necessary to establish clear property rights and prevent disputes over land ownership.

Defense Minister Katz framed the decision as a security measure, stating that it ensures "control, enforcement, and full freedom of action for the State of Israel in the area." Finance Minister Smotrich called it part of a broader effort to strengthen Israeli presence across the West Bank, describing it as the first significant land management reform since the 1967 Six Day War.

Israeli settlement groups have long complained about bureaucratic delays and red tape that slow down construction of new housing units. Supporters of the policy say the streamlined registration process will remove obstacles that have prevented development for years.

The Israeli government's statement justified the move by claiming it was a response to Palestinian Authority attempts to annex sections of Area C. However, no recent public moves by the PA to do so have been documented. Both sides have historically sought small extensions to existing villages to accommodate population growth, with each side objecting to the other's expansion plans.

Key Details

Under the new policy, the Justice Ministry's Land Registry and Settlement of Rights will oversee settlements and receive dedicated budget allocations. Officials say the measure will enable "transparent and in-depth clarification of rights" to resolve legal disputes and help infrastructure development.

The timing of the announcement raised eyebrows among international observers. The move came just days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. President Donald Trump, and despite reported criticism from the Trump administration about the broader expansion plans. Netanyahu's government appears confident the United States will not actively oppose these measures.

"The renewal of settling land in Judea and Samaria is an essential security and governance measure designed to ensure control, enforcement, and full freedom of action for the State of Israel in the area," Katz said.

The Regavim movement, which advocates for Israeli settlement expansion, celebrated the decision as a important step to prevent what it characterized as Palestinian Authority land registration efforts. The group claimed the PA has registered over 1.3 million dunams in what it calls an "illegal Palestinian land registry" with assistance from foreign governments.

International Response

UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the decision, warning that it could lead to Palestinian dispossession and expanded Israeli control over West Bank land. The UN's spokesman stated that such measures are "destabilizing" and, according to rulings by the International Court of Justice, unlawful.

The Palestinian Authority called the move "a dangerous escalation" and "actual annexation of occupied Palestinian land." PA President Mahmoud Abbas urged the UN Security Council and U.S. administration to intervene immediately to halt what he characterized as violations of international law.

The UN reiterated its long-standing position that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have no legal validity and violate international law and UN resolutions.

What This Means

The decision represents a significant shift in how Israel manages land in the West Bank and could have substantial consequences for Palestinians living in Area C. The streamlined registration process may accelerate Israeli acquisition and development of land in the territory.

International observers worry the move signals a broader push toward what some have called a "silent transfer" of Palestinian land to Israeli control, though Israeli officials maintain the policy is about administrative clarity rather than territorial expansion.

The decision also raises questions about the viability of a two-state solution, which the UN has repeatedly identified as the only path to lasting peace in the region. The Secretary-General warned that the current trajectory on the ground is eroding prospects for such an arrangement.

For Palestinians, the reopened registry could complicate efforts to establish formal property rights and land ownership documentation in Area C, where the vast majority of Palestinian land claims remain unregistered under Israeli law.