Israel’s security cabinet approved a series of measures on Sunday, February 8, set to deepen Israeli control over the occupied West Bank, paving the way for further settlement expansion in the Palestinian territory. The territory, which Israel has occupied since 1967, would form the largest part of any future Palestinian state but is seen by many on the religious right as Israeli land.
“The security cabinet today approved a series of decisions… fundamentally changing the legal and civil reality in Judea and Samaria,” a statement said, using the biblical names for the West Bank.
The measures, announced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz, include the removal of decades-old regulations barring Jewish citizens from purchasing land in the West Bank, according to a joint statement by the two ministers.
Smotrich said the move aimed at “deepening our roots in all regions of the Land of Israel and burying the idea of a Palestinian state.”
Katz said “Judea and Samaria is the heart of the country, and strengthening it is a paramount security, national, and Zionist interest.”
The reforms also envisage transferring authority over building permits for settlements in parts of Palestinian cities, including Hebron, from the Palestinian Authority’s municipal bodies to Israel.
‘Committed to removing barriers’
Until now, construction changes in the city’s Jewish community required approval from both the local municipality and Israeli authorities, the Times of Israel reported, citing the statement. Under the new arrangements, such changes would require Israeli authorization only.
“We are committed to removing barriers, creating legal and civil certainty, and allowing settlers to live, build and develop on equal footing with every citizen of Israel,” Katz said in the statement.
The measures would also allow Israeli authorities to administer certain religious sites even when they are located in areas under Palestinian Authority control, the statement said.
The Palestinian presidency in Ramallah condemned the decision, saying it was aimed at “deepening attempts to annex the occupied West Bank.”
The presidency said the “decisions reflect an open Israeli attempt to legalize settlement expansion, land confiscation, and the demolition of Palestinian properties, even in areas under Palestinian sovereignty.”
‘Land of Israel’
The Palestinian Authority exercises control over some discontiguous areas of the West Bank. The Yesha Council, an organization representing the majority of West Bank settlers, praised the moves, saying the “the Israeli government today declared, de facto, that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people.”
The announcement comes days ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States, where he is due to meet President Donald Trump. Trump has opposed Israeli annexation of the West Bank.
Excluding Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements and outposts across the West Bank, which are illegal under international law. Around three million Palestinians live in the territory.
In 2025, settlement expansion reached its highest level since at least 2017, when the United Nations began tracking the data, according to a recent UN report. Israel approved 19 settlements in December alone.
Remembering Bondi Beach
Meanwhile, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog laid a wreath Monday at the site of a mass shooting that killed 15 people celebrating a Jewish festival on Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
The head of state paid respect in the rain outside Bondi Pavilion to victims of the December 14 attack as he embarked on a tightly secured, four-day visit to console the Jewish Australian community.
Herzog said people of all faiths will “overcome this evil.”
“The bonds between good people of all faiths and all nations will continue to hold strong in the face of terror, violence and hatred,” he said after laying the wreath.
