Israel seized 12,800 acres of land in occupied West Bank Since Oct. 7: Palestinian Authority

ISTANBUL

The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission on Saturday said that Israeli authorities have seized more than 52,000 dunams (12,800 acres) of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023.

In a statement marking the anniversary of Land Day, the commission reported that since the start of the war in Gaza, Israel has issued 13 military orders to establish buffer zones around illegal settlements and has created 60 new illegal settler outposts across the occupied West Bank.

Of the 52,000 dunams confiscated, 46,000 dunams (11,400 acres) were seized in 2024 alone under various pretexts, including the designation of land as nature reserves, state land, and military zones.

Land Day, observed annually on March 30, commemorates the events of 1976, when Israel seized large tracts of land from Palestinian citizens, leading to mass protests that resulted in several deaths and injuries.

According to the commission, more than 24,000 dunams (5,900 acres) have been taken under the claim of “state land,” making it the largest land confiscation in over three decades.

The statement also highlighted the Israeli demolition campaign targeting Palestinian buildings.

In 2023, Israeli authorities issued 939 demolition orders, with 60% of them concentrated in Hebron, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Jerusalem. Additionally, there were 684 demolitions, mostly in Area C, which includes Jerusalem, Hebron, Nablus, and Jericho.

The Palestinian Commission reported that 770,000 illegal Israeli settlers now reside across 180 illegal settlements and 256 outposts in the occupied West Bank.

Tension has been running high across the occupied West Bank, where at least 939 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 7,000 injured in attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers since the start of the onslaught on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s longstanding occupation of Palestinian territories illegal, calling for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

ISTANBUL

Of the 52,000 dunams confiscated, 46,000 dunams (11,400 acres) were seized in 2024 alone under various pretexts, including the designation of land as nature reserves, state land, and military zones.

According to the commission, more than 24,000 dunams (5,900 acres) have been taken under the claim of “state land,” making it the largest land confiscation in over three decades.

The statement also highlighted the Israeli demolition campaign targeting Palestinian buildings.

The Palestinian Commission reported that 770,000 illegal Israeli settlers now reside across 180 illegal settlements and 256 outposts in the occupied West Bank.