Amnesty Highlights Israel's Land Seizures

Amnesty International has reported that Israel's decisions to seize Palestinian lands in the West Bank reflect an expansion of its settlement policy and undermine the rights of Palestinians as well as the possibility of establishing an independent Palestinian state. During July alone, Israel confiscated 15 plots of land covering nearly 20 hectares, and plans to build two out of 34 new settlements in areas under Palestinian control, using private land for military projects and targeting Palestinian Bedouin communities and herders. The organization also warned of an Israeli plan to create a road serving the settlements in Jenin, which could isolate the governorate and hinder the movement of Palestinians and economic integration. It emphasized that Israel is seizing lands within Area "A," under Palestinian control—the first such seizure since the Oslo agreements—calling on the international community to pressure Israel to halt settlement expansion. These policies could contribute to ending the prospects for establishing a Palestinian independent state.