Israeli Order Seizes 30 Hectares of Palestinian Land Near Bethlehem

Israeli Order Seizes Palestinian Land Near Bethlehem

Israeli authorities have issued a military order to seize 30 hectares of Palestinian land in the Jabal Al-Fureidis area near Bethlehem. Palestinian official Moayad Shaaban described the move as the third such expropriation since early 2026. The order claims public purposes but targets land long used by local families for agriculture and heritage.

Pretext of Archaeology Masks Settlement Expansion

Shaaban, head of the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, stated that the seizure aims to develop an archaeological site under Israeli control. He noted that 17.1 hectares around the same site were already declared state land in 2024. This pattern raises deep concerns for Palestinian families whose daily lives and cultural ties to the land face erasure.

Human Rights Violations Through Legal Control

The policy forms part of efforts to impose administrative dominance over Palestinian territory and redirect it toward housing for settlers. Shaaban warned that such unilateral steps violate international law and amount to de facto annexation. Local communities in the occupied West Bank already endure restricted movement and limited access to resources, making these seizures a direct threat to their rights and livelihoods.

Area C and the Legacy of Oslo Accords

Under the 1995 Oslo II Accord, Area C covers about 61 percent of the West Bank and remains under full Israeli control. Palestinian officials report that archaeological designations increasingly serve to expand settlement activity in these zones. Families near Bethlehem watch as heritage sites once central to their identity become tools for further dispossession.

Surge in Violence and Displacement Since 2023

Israeli measures have intensified across the occupied West Bank since October 2023. Palestinian authorities record 1,168 deaths, 12,666 injuries, nearly 23,000 arrests, and the displacement of around 33,000 people as of late May. These numbers reflect the human cost borne by communities already struggling under land seizures and restricted access to their own history.

Reshaping Culture to Serve Settlement Goals

Targeting Palestinian archaeological sites goes beyond land grabs and seeks to alter the historical narrative of the region. Shaaban called this approach one of the most dangerous methods for cementing control. For Palestinians in Bethlehem and surrounding areas, it threatens not only property but the continuity of their cultural presence on the land.