The Israeli government has approved a plan to register large areas of the West Bank as “state property” for the first time since 1967. The proposal was put forward by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Defence Minister Israel Katz. Smotrich said, "We are continuing the settlement revolution to control all our lands." Most Palestinian land has not been formally registered due to a complex process halted by Israel in 1967. Registering land creates permanent ownership rights. However, international law forbids occupying powers from confiscating land in occupied territories. The Palestinian Presidency condemned the move, calling it a "serious escalation" and saying it nullifies agreements and contradicts UN Security Council resolutions, according to Wafa news agency. Israeli Defence Minister Katz called the registration "an essential security and governance measure designed to ensure control, enforcement, and full freedom of action for the State of Israel in the area," the Jerusalem Post reported. Last week, Israel's Security Cabinet approved measures supporting further seizure of Palestinian land in the West Bank, seen by analysts as a step toward de facto annexation. Political analyst Xavier Abu Eid told Al Jazeera from Ramallah, "Israel is packing annexation into some sort of a bureaucratic move." He added that the International Court of Justice declared in 2024 that Israel's actions amount to annexation. Abu Eid warned, "Palestinian landowners are going to face more threats and intimidation from Israeli settlers supported by the Israeli government."