AssetID: 55476218
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Israel Approves West Bank Land Registration as Palestinians Decry 'De-Facto Annexation'
Caption: Israel Approves West Bank Land Registration as Palestinians Decry ‘De-Facto Annexation’. Israel’s cabinet approved new measures to expand land registration in the occupied West Bank, tightening control over territory Palestinians seek for a future state. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing elections later this year, has long opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, calling it a security threat. The move allows land registration for the first time since 1967, a step critics say will make it easier for Israeli settlers to purchase land. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described the decision as strengthening Israel’s hold over the land. Defense Minister Israel Katz framed the measure as a security necessity, while the government said it would improve transparency and resolve disputes. The Palestinian presidency condemned the step as a “de-facto annexation” designed to entrench occupation through expanded settlement activity. Settlement watchdog Peace Now warned the policy could lead to the dispossession of Palestinians from large parts of the West Bank. The move comes despite a 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice declaring Israel’s occupation and settlements illegal, a view Israel disputes. Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Current Affairs & Politics,Benjamin Netanyahu,West Bank,land registration,Israeli settlements,Bezalel Smotrich,Israel Katz,Palestinian Authority,Peace Now
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