EU Urges Israel to Reverse West Bank Land Seizure Decision

(MENAFN) The European Union issued a sharp rebuke Monday against Israel’s controversial move to designate vast West Bank territories as state-owned land, warning the action violates international law.

Speaking at the European Commission’s midday briefing, spokesperson Anouar El Anouni condemned the land registration initiative, stating it “constitutes a new escalation following recent measures already aimed at expanding Israeli control in Areas A and B.”

The EU official warned that the measure threatens to destroy any remaining prospects for a Palestinian state.

“We recall that annexation is illegal under international law. And we call on Israel to reverse this decision,” El Anouni underscored.

The controversy erupted after Israel’s government greenlit a groundbreaking proposal Sunday to formally register West Bank Palestinian territories as state property—an unprecedented legal maneuver never before deployed in the occupied region.

Israel’s public broadcaster confirmed the initiative came from a joint proposal by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Defense Minister Israel Katz.

According to media, the sweeping measure will unlock frozen land registration protocols, abolish decades-old Jordanian legal frameworks, and expose land records kept secret for years.

Palestinians denounce the actions as laying groundwork for outright West Bank annexation, arguing the moves represent de facto territorial seizure that would obliterate the UN-backed two-state solution framework.

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