Israel’s security cabinet has approved a package of measures expanding Israeli civil and administrative authority across parts of the occupied West Bank, including in areas previously administered by the Palestinian Authority under Oslo. Decisions taken on 8–9 February 2026 ease land purchases by Israelis, open land registries and shift planning control for the Jewish settlement area in Hebron. International partners, including the UK, have condemned the move and urged reversal. (apnews.com)
The most consequential change for property rights removes long‑standing restrictions that limited direct purchases by Israeli individuals and companies. The cabinet also ordered the declassification of West Bank land‑registration records, a step intended to facilitate contact with registered owners and accelerate transactions. Israeli outlets and official briefings frame this as “normalising” civilian life; critics say it systemically tilts the market. (jpost.com)
In Hebron, authority to issue building and planning permits for the Jewish settlement enclave - including works at the Cave of the Patriarchs/Ibrahimi Mosque compound - is being transferred from the Palestinian‑run municipality to Israeli planning institutions within the Civil Administration. That follows recent approvals for roofing and accessibility works at the site, which the Hebron Municipality has challenged in Israel’s High Court. (jpost.com)
Beyond land and planning, the government authorised Israeli enforcement related to water, environmental harm and archaeology in Areas A and B - zones that the Oslo framework assigned to Palestinian civil administration. This extends Israeli executive reach into spheres previously managed by the Palestinian Authority. (ft.com)
The cabinet also moved to re‑establish a state Land Acquisition Committee to finance and coordinate proactive land purchases, reviving a mechanism dormant for roughly two decades. Israeli ministers presented this as building “reserves” for future settlement growth. (apnews.com)
Separate but related initiatives target heritage governance. Israeli civil society monitoring and press reports indicate the creation of a dedicated administration for the Rachel’s Tomb complex in Bethlehem, enabling direct state budget transfers and oversight. This would mirror the exclusive municipal arrangements Israel has already put in place for settlers in Hebron. (jpost.com)
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the measures deepen Israeli presence and “bury the idea of a Palestinian state,” underscoring the strategic intent to entrench permanent control. The rhetoric aligns with a longer trend of legalising outposts and accelerating approvals since 2022. (ft.com)
The steps collide with the legal architecture created by the Oslo Accords and the 1997 Hebron Protocol, which divided Hebron into H1 (Palestinian civil control) and H2 (Israeli control) and assigned municipal planning responsibilities to the Palestinian side with specific coordination caveats. Reallocating planning and enforcement powers cuts across those undertakings. (un.org)
They also sit against clear international law baselines. UN Security Council Resolution 2334 reaffirms that Israeli settlements in territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of international law. In July 2024, the International Court of Justice advised that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful and must be brought to an end “as rapidly as possible.” (press.un.org)
The United Kingdom issued a formal statement on 9 February 2026 “strongly” condemning the cabinet decision and calling for immediate reversal, arguing the measures will harm prospects for peace and breach international law. This follows the UK’s formal recognition of the State of Palestine on 21 September 2025. (gov.uk)
European partners have taken a similar line. The UN Secretary‑General warned the decisions erode the two‑state horizon and authorised measures in Areas A and B. France and Spain explicitly linked the package to de facto annexation risks and to changes in the status quo at religious sites. (un.org)
For Palestinian institutions, the immediate implication is loss of effective control over urban planning in parts of Hebron and exposure to Israeli administrative enforcement in sectors previously under their remit. For residents, expanded Israeli oversight of archaeology, water and environmental issues in Areas A and B increases the likelihood of stop‑work orders and demolitions based on Israeli standards and processes. (ft.com)
Property‑market impacts will follow the opening of registries and relaxation of transaction approvals. By converting opaque processes into searchable records and enabling direct approaches to registered owners, the reforms lower transaction costs for Israeli buyers and the state, while heightening political and legal sensitivities around disputed parcels. (jpost.com)
Litigation is likely. The Hebron Municipality has already petitioned Israel’s High Court against earlier planning transfers at the Ibrahimi compound; fresh challenges to the cabinet’s wider decisions can be expected. Parallel Knesset initiatives to formalise a West Bank heritage authority would, if enacted, further embed Israeli administrative control. (archive.vn)
Policy outlook for the UK centres on diplomatic pressure and legal differentiation. London’s statement invokes international‑law consistency and the two‑state framework; in parallel, the UK has previously used targeted sanctions against individuals implicated in West Bank settler violence and continues to emphasise the duty under Resolution 2334 to distinguish between Israel and the territories occupied in 1967. (gov.uk)