Micah Jonah
February 16, 2026
Israel’s decision to register land in the occupied West Bank as “state property” has drawn widespread international condemnation, with regional countries and organizations warning the move threatens Palestinian self-determination.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the measure aims to “clarify rights, resolve legal disputes” following previous unlawful land registrations in Palestinian Authority-controlled areas. The decision revives land title settlement processes frozen since 1967, when Israel first occupied the West Bank.
The Palestinian presidency called the action a “grave escalation” and “de facto annexation,” urging intervention from the United States and the United Nations. Hamas denounced the move as an attempt to “steal and Judaise lands” in violation of international law.
Countries including Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Pakistan condemned the decision, calling it illegal and a threat to peace efforts. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation described it as a “colonial measure” targeting Palestinian rights, while the European Union urged Israel to reverse the approval, warning it undermines the two-state solution.
The approval has sparked fears that it will accelerate settlement expansion, further entrench Israeli control over Palestinian territories.
