Gaza: Israel’s safety cupboard approves measures to strengthen management over West Financial institution

Israel’s safety cupboard on Sunday (February 8, 2026) authorised measures that purpose to deepen Israeli management over the occupied West Financial institution and weaken the already restricted powers of the Palestinian Authority.

The workplace of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in an announcement introduced the selections that will make it simpler for Jewish settlers to drive Palestinians to surrender land, including that “we are going to proceed to bury the concept of a Palestinian state.” Yonatan Mizrachi, a researcher with the Israeli anti-settlement watchdog group Peace Now, referred to as the choice “very important”. He stated the choice nonetheless requires approval by Israel’s high commander for the West Financial institution.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in an announcement, referred to as the choice “harmful” and an “open Israeli try to legalise settlement growth” and land confiscation. He referred to as for america and the U.N. Safety Council to intervene instantly.

Jordan’s Overseas Ministry condemned the choice, which it stated was “geared toward imposing unlawful Israeli sovereignty” and entrenching settlements.

The measures embrace cancelling a prohibition on gross sales of West Financial institution land to Israeli Jews, declassifying West Financial institution land registry information to ease land acquisition, transferring development planning at non secular and different delicate websites within the risky metropolis of Hebron to Israeli authorities, and permitting Israeli enforcement of environmental and archaeological issues in Palestinian-administered areas.

The measures additionally would revive a committee that will permit the state of Israel to make “proactive” land purchases within the territory — “a step supposed to ensure land reserves for settlement for generations to come back.”

Peace Now in an explainer issued on late Sunday (February 8, 2026) referred to as the choice geared toward “breaking via each doable barrier on the way in which to an enormous land seize within the West Financial institution.” Notably, it stated, Israeli authorities will be capable of demolish development in Palestinian-controlled areas in the event that they deem it dangerous to heritage or the surroundings.

The West Financial institution is split between an Israeli-controlled part the place settlements are positioned and sections equalling 40% of the territory the place the Palestinian Authority has autonomy.

Palestinians aren’t permitted to promote land privately to Israelis. Settlers can purchase houses on land managed by Israel’s authorities.

Requested about settlers’ claims that the present system is discriminatory in opposition to Jews, Mizrachi stated the whole system within the West Financial institution discriminates in opposition to Palestinians, who aren’t allowed to vote in Israeli elections and face Israeli navy crackdowns and journey restrictions.

Greater than 700,000 Israelis stay within the occupied West Financial institution and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 and sought by the Palestinians for a future state. The worldwide neighborhood overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement development in these areas to be unlawful and an impediment to peace.

Mr. Smotrich, beforehand a firebrand settler chief and now Finance Minister, has been granted cabinet-level authority over settlement insurance policies and vowed to double the settler inhabitants within the West Financial institution.

Settler group Regavim, in an announcement, praised Sunday’s resolution, saying it could defend heritage websites within the West Financial institution and “in the end” make land registry accessible and clear.

In December, Israel’s Cupboard authorised a proposal for 19 new Jewish settlements within the West Financial institution as the federal government pushes forward with a development binge that additional threatens the potential for a Palestinian state. And Israel has cleared the ultimate hurdle earlier than beginning development on a contentious settlement venture close to Jerusalem that will successfully reduce the West Financial institution in two, in response to a authorities tender reported in January.