The Israeli cabinet approved a series of regulations last night that will allow for increased control over the occupied West Bank, in particular over areas administered by the Palestinian Authority, reported Agence France-Presse and Reuters, citing an official statement, BTA reported.
The West Bank is among the territories that Palestinians want for a future independent state. Much of it is under Israeli military control, with limited Palestinian self-rule in some areas governed by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.
These decisions should "fundamentally change the legal and civil reality" in the West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, the joint statement from the finance and defense ministries said.
According to the text, regulations from the time when Jordan ruled the West Bank before 1967 and which prohibited Jews from buying land should be repealed. The measures are expected to allow Israeli authorities to manage certain religious sites, even when they are located in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority. This applies in particular to the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, which is a holy site for all three monotheistic religions, as well as Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem.
In Hebron, where Israeli settlers live under military protection in the city, the construction procedure is also to be simplified. Until now, building permits had to be approved by the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli authorities, but from now on, only the latter will be able to make a decision.
By imposing Israeli control on Areas A and B, which according to the Oslo Accords are under the control of the Palestinian Authority, the cabinet wants to fight against "water-related violations, damage to archaeological sites and environmental pollution that affect the entire region".
"We are planting our roots deeper in all regions of the land of Israel and burying the idea of a Palestinian state", said Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right figure, himself a settler and supporter of annexation of the West Bank. He is also responsible for civil affairs at the Defense Ministry.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said that "Judea and Samaria are the heart of the country and their strengthening is of paramount importance for security, national interests and Zionism", using the biblical name for the West Bank.
The Palestinian presidency in Ramallah condemned these decisions, saying they aim to "deepen attempts to annex the occupied West Bank".
Outside East Jerusalem, occupied and annexed by Israel, about three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, along with more than 500,000 Israelis settled in settlements considered illegal under international law. Their growth last year reached a record level since the UN began monitoring in 2017, according to a report by the UN Secretary-General.