Palestinian Authority in dire straits as Israel's hold on West Bank deepens
More than 30 years after its creation, there are increasing warnings that the PA is close to collapse.
Coverage by Political Leaning
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Notable Quotes
"They're doing it silently, not openly, it's true. But this is annexation. We can't reach our lands."
— Marzoq Abu Naim , Activist
"It is a turning point in our lives."
— Sabri Saidam , Politician
"This move is very dramatic and allows the state to gain control of almost all of Area C."
— Hagit Ofran , Activist
"Palestinians will be sent to prove ownership in a way that they will never be able to do."
— Hagit Ofran , Activist
"We are witnessing the gradual de facto annexation of the West Bank, as unilateral Israeli steps steadily transform the landscape."
— Rosemary DiCarlo , Academic
"amazingly so many countries say the Jewish presence in our ancient homeland violates international law."
— Gideon Sa'ar , Politician
"there is something fundamentally racist about this colonial narrative underlying all these illegal policies."
— Riyad Mansour , Politician
"we must prevent the destabilization of the West Bank and preserve the viability of a Palestinian state."
— Yvette Cooper , Politician
"The board is not talking. It's doing."
— Mike Waltz , Politician
"The government was 'burying the idea of a Palestinian state'."
— Bezalel Smotrich , Politician
"an additional confirmation that Israel is accelerating steps to Judaize Palestinian lands."
— Hamas , Other
Key People
Bezalel Smotrich is the far-right Israeli Finance Minister known for supporting settlement policies in the West Bank.
Israeli Energy Minister.
Israeli Foreign Minister representing the Likud party.
Hagit Ofran is the director of Peace Now’s Settlement Watch program.
A Palestinian militant organization known for its social services and armed resistance against Israel.
Chairman of the Palestinian Authority.
A member of the village council in al-Mughayyir discussing the impact of settler violence.
US ambassador to the UN.
Palestinian ambassador to the UN.
UN Under Secretary General focused on international peace and security.
A former PA minister and deputy chairman of the president's political party.
Yariv Levin is the Israeli Minister of Justice.
Head of the Samaria Council representing Israeli settlements.
Yvette Cooper is a British Labour Party politician who has served in various ministerial roles.
Tags
All Coverage
More than 30 years after its creation, there are increasing warnings that the PA is close to collapse.
Israel has announced plans to resume land registration in Area C of the occupied West Bank, a move seen by critics as a major step toward formal annexation of the territory. The process could lead to Israeli state control over large tracts of land, with critics warning that up to 83% of Area C could shift to Israeli control. The Palestinian Authority condemned the measure as a 'grave escalation' and urged international intervention.
A top UN official warned that steps by Israel to tighten control of areas of the West Bank administered by the Palestinian Authority amount to 'gradual de facto annexation.' Israel has approved a series of initiatives to consolidate control over the West Bank, where Palestinians exercise limited autonomy under past agreements. The UN official expressed concern that these measures could lead to settlement expansion and alter the landscape of the region.
Israel’s far-right security cabinet has approved sweeping measures expanding the state's power in the occupied West Bank, marking the start of formal annexation. The changes include publishing land registries, repealing restrictions on land sales to Israeli settlers, and extending Israeli enforcement into Palestinian Authority-administered Areas A and B. These actions are seen as efforts to 'bury the idea of a Palestinian state.'
Tensions have escalated in Hebron following Israel's approval of a series of measures aimed at expanding its oversight and control activities in areas under the administration of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Israeli settlers raided the Old City area of Hebron, and the Hebron Municipality described Israel's move to assume authority over licensing, construction permits, and municipal administration as a 'dangerous alteration' of the long-standing status quo.
Palestine and Jordan denounced an Israeli government plan to build 22 more settlements in the occupied West Bank as an infringement of Palestinian rights. The Palestinian Authority called the new Israeli settlement plan a 'dangerous escalation that drags the region into a cycle of violence and instability.'
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