February 16, 2026 11:40 AM
Israeli cabinet approves West Bank land registration, Palestinians condemn ‘de-facto annexation’
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 faci...