Israeli cabinet approves West Bank land registration, Palestinians condemn ‘de-facto annexation’
Netanyahu says US deal with Iran must dismantle nuclear sites, not just halt enrichment process
An Israeli flag flutters, as part of the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim is visible in the background, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestine, Aug. 14, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS
Israel’s cabinet on Sunday approved further measures to tighten Israel’s control over the occupied West Bank and make it easier for settlers to buy land, a move Palestinians called a “de-facto annexation”.
The West Bank is among the territories that Palestinians seek for a future independent state. Much of it is under Israeli military control, with limited Palestinian self-rule in some areas run by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing an election later this year, deems the establishment of any Palestinian state a security threat.
His ruling coalition, which has a large voter base in the settlements, includes many members who want Israel to annex the West Bank, land captured in the 1967 Middle East war to which Israel cites biblical and historical ties.
Read More: Israel moves to tighten West Bank control
Ministers voted in favour of beginning a process of land registration for the first time since 1967, a week after approving another series of measures in the West Bank that drew international condemnation.
“We are continuing the revolution of settlement and strengthening our hold across all parts of our land,” said far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said land registration was a vital security measure while the cabinet said in a statement it was an “appropriate response to illegal land registration processes promoted by the Palestinian Authority.”
The foreign ministry said the measure would promote transparency and help resolve land disputes.
The Palestinian presidency condemned the step, saying it constitutes “a de-facto annexation of occupied Palestinian territory and a declaration of the commencement of annexation plans aimed at entrenching the occupation through illegal settlement activity.”
Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now said the measure could lead to dispossession of Palestinians from up to half of the West Bank.
Also Read: Muslim bloc warns Israel against West Bank annexation
US President Donald Trump has ruled out Israeli annexation of the West Bank but his administration has not sought to curb Israel’s accelerated settlement building.
A second round of talks between the US and Iran are slated for this week. Iran is pursuing a nuclear agreement with the US that delivers economic benefits for both sides, an Iranian diplomat was reported as saying on Sunday.
Netanyahu said he is sceptical of a deal but it must include enriched material leaving Iran. “There shall be no enrichment capability – not stopping the enrichment process, but dismantling the equipment and the infrastructure that allows you to enrich in the first place,” he said.
Iran must dismantle nuclear infrastructure، says Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he told US President Donald Trump last week that any US deal with Iran must include the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, not just stopping the enrichment process.
Speaking at the annual Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Netanyahu also said Israel still needs to “complete the job” of destroying all tunnels in Gaza. Israel, he said, has already dismantled 150 km (93 miles) of an estimated 500 km.
