Arabic version: السلطات الفلسطينية تدين مبادرة تسجيل الأراضي الرقمية الإسرائيلية
A new Israeli initiative to digitally register property ownership in the occupied West Bank has drawn sharp criticism from Palestinian authorities. The Palestinian Land Authority labeled the plan a “dangerous colonial occupation step that represents a direct assault on the historical and legal rights of the Palestinian people to their land and property”. According to Al Jazeera, the Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate and the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CRRC) are urging Palestinians to avoid any engagement with Israeli entities related to land and property.
The Israeli government reportedly launched the online “Land Registry and Settlement of Rights” platform, aimed at updating property ownership in the West Bank on Wednesday this week. In response, the Jerusalem Governorate and CRRC have called on international bodies, including the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, to intervene and hold Israel accountable for its actions against Palestinian land rights.
Moayad Shaaban, head of the CRRC, stated that the initiative marks a shift from traditional control methods to digital colonial engineering, which seeks to establish permanent legal realities in the occupied territories. This concern follows a broader context of aggressive land settlement processes initiated by Israel, which the Jerusalem Governorate claims aims to legally annex the West Bank.
The Israeli Security Cabinet had previously launched a land settlement process in May 2025, with a goal to fully register lands under Israeli authority. This was complemented by a symbolic measure from Israel’s parliament calling for the annexation of the occupied West Bank. Reports indicate that on February 15, 2026, the permanent acquisition and registration of approximately 58 percent of Area C, which is under total Israeli control, began. Rights groups have also noted an increase in settlement approvals and settler violence against Palestinian communities since Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.
