The Israeli Ministerial Committee for Political and Security Affairs (the Cabinet) approved a package of dramatic decisions aimed at entrenching Israeli sovereignty and deepening annexation operations in the occupied West Bank. These measures included the annulment of existing Jordanian laws that prevented the sale of land to Jews, a step described by settlement circles as the most significant in decades.
Israeli forces obstruct the work of journalists and activists covering settler incursions into the Old City of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, while protecting settlers as they storm the area as part of a weekly settler “tour,” Saturday, February 8, 2026. In recent weeks, residents have faced frequent raids by both settlers and the military, alongside Israeli operations that have imposed dozens of new restrictions on freedom of movement, further worsening daily life for Palestinian residents (Photo: Mosab Shawer / Activestills)
The Israeli press reported on Monday, February 9, that the decisions included declassifying land records and publishing them for public access, which facilitates acquisition and direct purchase operations by settlers and Jewish companies. The Cabinet also abolished the requirement for a transaction permit from the Civil Administration, allowing real estate transactions in the West Bank through mechanisms like those applied within the Green Line.
In a notable field step, the far-right government decided to expand supervision and enforcement powers to include Areas A and B, which are administratively and security-wise under the Palestinian Authority according to the Oslo Accords. These operations will focus on prosecuting what Israel describes as water violations, damage to archaeological sites, and environmental risks, thereby giving its agencies a new legal foothold in the heart of Palestinian communities.
The decisions also included transferring building permit powers in the settlement bloc in Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque from the Palestinian Hebron Municipality to the planning institutions of the Israeli Civil Administration. This measure aims to overcome legal obstacles previously posed by the municipality to settlement expansion and facilitate settlers’ access to holy sites in the city.
In a related context, it was decided to revive the ‘Land Purchase Committee,’ which had ceased operations about twenty years ago, to undertake state-initiated purchase operations to provide land reserves for settlement expansion. The Cabinet also approved the establishment of a dedicated municipal administration for the Rachel’s Tomb complex in Bethlehem to assume maintenance and service responsibilities away from Palestinian local authorities.
The Palestinian Presidency condemned these decisions, describing them as a continuation of a comprehensive war and an unprecedented escalation targeting the historical Palestinian presence. The Presidency warned in an official statement that these steps represent a practical implementation of displacement plans and violate all signed agreements and international legitimacy resolutions.
The Palestinian Authority affirmed that any harm to the Ibrahimi Mosque and the transfer of powers within it is completely rejected and could lead to an explosion of the situation on the ground. It called on the international community and the US administration to intervene immediately to stop these measures that undermine the two-state solution and threaten the security and stability of the entire region.
Hadash condemned the illegal Israeli measures approved by the far-right Israeli government to entrench and expand settlements in the occupied West Bank. A spokesperson for Hadash said that the proposed significant changes to territory, implementation, and administrative powers in the occupied West Bank would undermine efforts to achieve peace and stability. He added that the Hadash’s position is clear, “any unilateral attempt to alter the geographic and demographic composition of Palestine is completely unacceptable and contrary to international law.” The statement called on the occupying authorities to immediately reverse these decisions, stressing that the two-state solution remains the only viable path to lasting peace.
According to Hadash MK Ayman Odeh, the government is racing against time to impose strategic realities on the ground before the upcoming parliamentary elections. Odeh indicated that the primary goal is to definitively rule out the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state and prevent it permanently through intensified settlement and silent displacement.
