Israel's Security Cabinet Approves Measures to Strengthen Control Over West Bank

Israel's security cabinet has approved measures aimed at strengthening control over the occupied West Bank, a move that could substantially increase settlement activity and reduce the authority of the Palestinian Authority (PA). The measures, promoted by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, include lifting restrictions on land sales to Israeli Jews, opening land registries to facilitate acquisition, transferring planning responsibilities in Hebron to Israeli authorities, and reviving a committee to enable state-funded land purchases.

The initiative sparked widespread condemnation. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas labeled it a "dangerous" move toward legalizing settlement expansion and called for intervention from the U.S. and U.N. Jordan and the militant group Hamas also condemned the plan. Peace Now, an anti-settlement watchdog, warned the actions amount to an aggressive land grab, giving Israel expansive new authority even in Palestinian-administered areas.

The announcement comes just before a scheduled meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and U.S. President Trump. Critics argue the new policies institutionalize discrimination against Palestinians, limit prospects for a two-state solution, and further entrench Israeli sovereignty over occupied territories, which are widely considered illegal under international law.