The Take Inside Israel’s plan to turn West Bank land into ‘state property’
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Feb 18, 2026 Nida Ibrahim, Al Jazeera correspondent covering settlement expansion and land policy, breaks down Israel’s plan to reclassify West Bank land as state property. She explains the legal maze of Ottoman-era records and absentees. She examines how paperwork can entrench settlements, regional reactions, and the risks of incremental dispossession.
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Land Registration As Final Ownership Tool
- Israel is restarting land registration in the West Bank to formalize title and enable settlement expansion.
- This process creates permanent ownership records that can be converted into Israeli state land if Palestinians cannot prove claims.
West Bank Seen As Building Workshop For Settlements
- Nida describes the West Bank as a "massive building workshop" favoring Israeli settlers with roads, checkpoints, and new settlements.
- She highlights Bedouin communities forced to leave ancestral grazing lands under pressure and attacks.
Paperwork Gap Leaves Lands Vulnerable
- About 70% of West Bank lands were never officially registered under prior authorities, leaving many Palestinians without state paperwork.
- Israel will require proof of ownership and may declare unproven lands as state land, enabling dispossession and settlement use.