Israel accelerates illegal annexation, seizing control in West Bank cities

In a dramatic escalation, Israel has moved to seize direct administrative control over parts of the occupied West Bank, stripping Palestinian institutions of key powers. Decisions by Israel's security cabinet transfer planning and construction authority in Hebron and Bethlehem from Palestinian to Israeli military administration, a step widely seen as a decisive move toward the illegal annexation of Palestinian territory.

A direct assault on Palestinian sovereignty

The measures effectively abolish the Palestinian municipality of Hebron's authority, handing control to Israel's "Civil Administration." Similar steps are planned for Bethlehem. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a key proponent, openly stated the goal is to "eliminate the idea of a Palestinian State." The moves systematically remove legal barriers for Israeli settler expansion, facilitating the takeover of Palestinian land.

Dismantling the last remnants of the Oslo framework

These actions represent a wholesale dismantling of the Oslo Accords, which established a framework for Palestinian self-governance in Areas A and B of the West Bank. The new rules grant Israel the power to demolish Palestinian homes and structures even in these zones, erasing the last vestiges of the Palestinian Authority's administrative role. Israeli peace group Peace Now warned this is a strategic policy to liquidate the Palestinian Authority and cement a one-state reality of permanent occupation.

International outcry and Palestinian resistance

The brazen steps have provoked fierce condemnation. Eight Muslim nations, including Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar, issued a joint statement condemning Israel's "illegal annexation steps" and attempts to displace Palestinians. Palestinian leaders from all factions have denounced the moves as a "racist and dangerous" colonial program aimed at erasing Palestinian rights. The actions occur amidst escalating settler violence and a concerted effort to normalize Israel's illegal settlement project, marking a critical threshold in the decades-long occupation.