Israel uses land takeover orders to expand settler control, commission says

Israel uses land takeover orders to expand settler control, commission says Since the start of 2026, Israeli authorities have issued 49 military orders to seize 2,093 dunums (517 acres) of Palestinian land under the guise of security measures, WAFA reported. Citing a position paper released on Saturday by the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, the report said the orders do not formally transfer ownership from Palestinian landowners. Instead, they impose broad restrictions on land use by requiring the removal or pruning of trees and vegetation, restricting access, and preventing replanting. The commission said the measures amount to de facto control over the land while legal ownership remains unchanged. According to the commission, the orders are issued on the grounds of military and security needs in areas near Israeli settlements, bypass roads, the separation wall, checkpoints and military sites. It argued, however, that their geographic distribution suggests they are being used to expand control around settler infrastructure and secure movement for Israeli settlers. The commission said the number of such orders issued in the first half of 2026 exceeded the total for all of 2025.