Overview
- Israel’s security cabinet voted to publish previously confidential land registries and repeal Jordanian-era restrictions, removing special permit requirements and allowing direct private purchases by Jews.
- The government will reactivate the long-dormant Land Acquisition Committee to enable proactive state land purchases for future settlement development.
- Authorities expanded Israeli oversight in Areas A and B to address water offenses, environmental hazards, and damage to archaeological sites.
- Planning and municipal powers for Jewish areas in Hebron will shift to Israeli bodies, with full authority granted to the Hebron Directorate and a dedicated municipal directorate created for Rachel’s Tomb.
- Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich hailed the measures as deepening Israel’s presence, while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called them illegal and tantamount to de-facto annexation; the steps come ahead of Netanyahu’s meeting with President Trump.