The Briefing Palestine drafts a constitution, while Israel moves closer to ‘de facto annexation’ of the West Bank
Feb 16, 2026
Nada Altar, senior foreign reporter covering Middle East developments, provides on-the-ground analysis of Israeli moves in the West Bank and Palestinian interim constitution efforts. Christophe Duby, Olympic Games executive director, talks operational challenges and legacy planning for Milan-Cortina. Fernando Augusto Pacheco, senior correspondent on Brazil and the Olympics, discusses Brazil’s first Winter Olympic gold and Carnival reactions.
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State-Property Move Alters Ground Realities
- Israel's plan to declare West Bank land state property changes facts on the ground without formal annexation.
- Nada Altar warns this accelerates settler expansion and fragments Palestinian daily life and territory.
Ownership Proofs Are Practically Unreachable
- Palestinians face near-impossible burdens to prove ownership after displacement and property theft.
- Nada Altar says legal protections exist in name but are unenforced, enabling coercive purchases and dispossession.
International Law Lacks Enforcement Power
- International condemnation hasn't produced effective measures to halt annexation moves.
- Nada Altar notes UN recognition and draft reforms exist, but implementation is blocked by occupation.