Arabic version: إسرائيل تعزز مصادرة الأراضي في غزة والضفة الغربية

Israeli officials are ramping up land seizures in Gaza and the West Bank, with significant developments occurring in recent days. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced plans for new settlements in Gaza, while heavy machinery was deployed at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, altering its historic character. According to Al Jazeera, Israeli authorities have blocked the Muslim call to prayer at the mosque for a week and a half.

In Gaza, Smotrich stated that plans for three new settlements in the northern region were complete and urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to approve them. Israeli forces have also expanded their control by pushing cement markers further west along the so-called “Yellow Line.”

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, the Israeli government declared 465 dunums of land near Sinjil as “state land,” a move aimed at legalizing the Givat Haroeh outpost. Settlers have been actively constructing new bypass roads and fencing on private Palestinian land, further entrenching settlement infrastructure.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported increasing violence, including incidents of aerial strikes in Gaza that have resulted in numerous casualties, including children. OCHA noted that 65 percent of Gaza is now classified as “access-restricted.”

Recent reports indicate that Israeli forces have been involved in the deaths of at least 20,179 Palestinian children since October 2023. Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has condemned this violence, highlighting a lack of accountability for the killings. Despite international scrutiny, the Israeli government continues to pursue its settlement expansion and land grab policies, prompting widespread condemnation from various human rights organizations.