Türkiye Condemns Israel’s West Bank Land Registration Decision, Calls It Violation of International Law

Ankara, The Gulf Observer: Türkiye on Sunday strongly condemned Israel’s latest decision to register large areas of the occupied West Bank as “state property,” describing the move as a clear violation of international law and an attempt to expand illegal settlement activities.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli government approved a proposal to formally register vast tracts of land in the occupied territory as state property — the first such measure since Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967.

In an official statement, Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry said the decision aims to impose Israel’s authority over the occupied West Bank and accelerate settlement expansion.

“This step, which seeks to forcibly displace the Palestinian people from their land and accelerate Israel’s unlawful annexation efforts, constitutes a clear violation of international law and is null and void,” the ministry stated. It further emphasized that Israel holds no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories.

The statement also criticized the expansionist policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, warning that such actions undermine peace efforts and further weaken prospects for a two-state solution.

Türkiye called on the international community to take a firm and principled stance against what it described as Israeli attempts to create irreversible facts on the ground. Ankara reaffirmed its continued support for the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and contiguous Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

According to Israeli public broadcaster KAN, the proposal was submitted by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Defense Minister Israel Katz. Israeli daily Israel Hayom reported that the plan aims for the gradual settlement of 15 percent of Area C by 2030.

Under the Oslo II Accord signed in 1995, the West Bank is divided into three administrative areas: Area A under full Palestinian control, Area B under Palestinian civil and Israeli security control, and Area C — comprising around 61 percent of the territory — under full Israeli control. The agreement permits land registration by the Palestinian Authority in Areas A and B, while prohibiting it in Area C.

The land registration decision forms part of a broader package of measures approved last week by Israel’s Security Cabinet to expand settlement construction and consolidate Israeli control over the occupied West Bank. Israeli media reported that the steps include repealing restrictions on land sales to settlers, unsealing land ownership records, and transferring building permit authority in a settlement bloc near Hebron from a Palestinian municipality to Israel’s civil administration.

Israel has intensified its military operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since launching its campaign in Gaza in October 2023. Palestinians view the escalation — marked by increased killings, arrests, displacement, and settlement expansion — as paving the way for formal annexation of the territory.

In a landmark advisory opinion issued in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories unlawful and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.