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Israel Tightens West Bank Grip as International Condemnation Grows

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  • The Palestinian Authority has delivered little improvement to the lives of Palestinians
    The Palestinian Authority has delivered little improvement to the lives of Palestinians
    Image: BBC
    The Palestinian Authority has delivered little improvement to the lives of Palestinians (EPA) Source Full size
  • Marzoq Abu Naim says the PA does not give him the support which he needs
    Marzoq Abu Naim says the PA does not give him the support which he needs
    Image: BBC
    Marzoq Abu Naim says the PA does not give him the support which he needs Source Full size
  • Al-Mughayyir has had land taken over by Jewish settlers
    Al-Mughayyir has had land taken over by Jewish settlers
    Image: BBC
    Al-Mughayyir has had land taken over by Jewish settlers Source Full size
  • Ramallah is the PA's administrative capital but the authority has been seen as weak for years
    Ramallah is the PA's administrative capital but the authority has been seen as weak for years
    Image: BBC
    Ramallah is the PA's administrative capital but the authority has been seen as weak for years Source Full size

Settlement Surge and New Land Laws Intensify Control Israeli forces have escalated raids on al‑Mughayyir village, seizing farmland and expanding settler outposts, while the Knesset passed legislation removing restrictions on land acquisition in Areas A and B, a step seen as paving the way for annexation [1][2]. Settlers’ presence now forces school closures whenever troops or outposts appear, disrupting daily life for residents. The combined military and legal pressure deepens Israel’s de‑facto authority over the occupied territories.

Palestinian Authority Faces Severe Fiscal Collapse Since the October 7 attacks, Israel withheld tax transfers, leaving the PA with a $4 billion shortfall and paying only 60 % of civil‑service salaries [1]. Around 100,000 Palestinians lost work permits, prompting schools to operate three days a week for over 600,000 children and forcing families to hire private tutors for basic literacy. The financial strain fuels concerns about the PA’s ability to maintain basic services and governance.

Broad International Condemnation Targets Israeli Policies senior UN official labeled Israel’s new land‑registration process “gradual, de facto annexation,” prompting condemnation from more than 80 UN member states, the EU, Arab League and, as of February 18, India [1][2]. India’s endorsement added its name to an 85‑country statement denouncing unilateral actions that expand Israel’s unlawful presence, a move criticized by former Indian diplomats for appearing to side with Israel [2]. The statement precedes a UN meeting and a U.S.–led Board of Peace session.

Political Rhetoric Signals End of Two‑State Vision Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich publicly vowed to “kill” the idea of a Palestinian state and promised to cancel the Oslo accords if his party remains in government [1]. Former PA minister Sabri Saidam warned that the Authority’s existence is now questionable, while Israeli officials described it as “corrupt and morally bankrupt,” raising fears of a power vacuum that could spur radicalization [1].

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Timeline

1967 – Israel occupies the West Bank after the Six‑Day War, establishing a military presence that underpins today’s settlement expansion and the contested status of the territory [3].

2005 – Israel dismantles the outposts of Kadim and Ganim as part of its unilateral disengagement, but both are later retroactively legalized, illustrating a pattern of reviving former settlements [5][7].

2017 – Settlement growth reaches its highest level since this year, a benchmark that the United Nations later cites when warning that expansion has again peaked [4][10].

2024 – The International Court of Justice issues an advisory opinion declaring West Bank settlements illegal and calling for an immediate halt to construction, providing a legal backdrop to Israel’s subsequent approvals [4].

May 2025 – Israel’s security cabinet approves 22 new settlements, the largest expansion in decades, signaling an accelerated settlement agenda that continues into the year’s end [2].

Dec 11, 2025 – The Israeli cabinet authorizes 19 new outposts across the West Bank, including the re‑establishment of two settlements evacuated in 2005, marking a formal step toward expanding the settler footprint [3].

Dec 21, 2025 – The security cabinet approves 19 additional settlements, bringing the total approved in the past three years to 69 and raising the overall number of West Bank settlements to 210; the move includes retroactive legalization of outposts and sparks a surge in settler violence [11][7].

Dec 22, 2025 – Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announces that Israel has green‑lit 11 new settlements and formalised eight more, stating the expansion “blocks the establishment of a Palestinian terror state” [10].

Dec 25, 2025 – Twelve European states, Canada and Japan issue a joint condemnation that the settlement approvals “violate international law and destabilise the region,” while Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rebuts the criticism as “morally wrong and discriminatory against Jews” [3][10].

Jan 6, 2026 – Israel publishes a government tender for 3,401 housing units in the E1 area east of Jerusalem, clearing the final procedural hurdle and prompting Peace Now’s Yoni Mizrahi to warn that construction could start within a month [6][9].

Jan 21, 2026 – The outpost Yatziv near Beit Sahour becomes a fully legalised settlement; at the inauguration Smotrich declares the settlers are “standing stable here” and that Israel “will never allow a Palestinian state there” [5].

Feb 18, 2026 – India signs an 85‑country statement condemning Israel’s unilateral West Bank actions, joining the Arab League, EU, BRICS founders and Quad partners ahead of a UN meeting; Palestinian UN ambassador Riyad Mansour warns the moves “aimed at expanding Israel’s unlawful presence” [8].

Feb 21, 2026 – Settler incursions intensify in al‑Mughayyir, Palestinian Authority finances collapse with $4 billion in unpaid taxes and schools reduced to three days a week, and Smotrich vows to “kill” the idea of a Palestinian state, pledging to cancel the Oslo accords if his party stays in power [1].

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