Ramallah, 16 February (H.S.): The Palestinian Presidency issued a vehement condemnation on Sunday against Israel's security cabinet decision to overhaul land registration and property acquisition procedures across Areas A and B of the occupied West Bank, branding it a blatant breach of international law and de facto annexation.

Labeling the move an unprecedented escalation that threatens regional security and stability, the Presidency highlighted its potential to reclassify vast swaths of Palestinian land as state property under Israeli control, nullifying prior agreements including the 1995 Oslo II Accords.

Under Oslo II, Area A falls under full Palestinian civil and security authority, while Area B grants Palestinian civil control alongside Israeli security oversight; the cabinet's approval—championed by Defence Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich—targets these zones for the first formal land registries since Israel's 1967 occupation.

Israeli officials hailed the changes as dismantling decades-old barriers rooted in discriminatory Jordanian legislation, enabling public access to property lists, repeal of non-Muslim purchase bans, and accelerated settlement development with an initial NIS 244 million budget through 2030.

The Presidency invoked UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which deems all Israeli settlement activities in Palestinian territories—including East Jerusalem—legally invalid, urging the international community, UNSC, and United States to compel Israel's reversal amid fears the opaque process could seize up to 83% of Area C (fully Israeli-controlled).

UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced similar concerns earlier this month, as critics warn the draconian verification burdens undocumented Palestinian claims, potentially converting unregistered lands into state holdings ripe for outposts and infrastructure over a projected 30-year timeline.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar