Amnesty Warns of Israeli Annexation Push in Occupied West Bank

In July alone, the Israeli military issued at least 15 land confiscation orders across the Jenin governorate. These directives cover roughly 20 hectares of territory in Areas A and C, with the strategic intent of linking the planned Emek Dotan and Noa settlements. These projects are part of a broader push that has seen over 30 new settlements approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration this year.

Heba Morayef, Amnesty’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, argued that targeting Area A—territory under Palestinian administrative control since the Oslo Accords—marks a significant shift in the government’s tactics. She warned that states maintaining close political and trade ties to Israel risk complicity in international crimes if they fail to pressure officials to rescind these orders. The organization explicitly linked these seizures to the forcible transfer and displacement of Palestinian communities.

Simultaneously, the region is witnessing a spike in lethal encounters. Local officials confirmed the deaths of two Palestinian teenagers, Omar al-Nassan and Khalil Abu Alia, in the village of al-Mughayyir during a confrontation involving settlers and military forces. The United Nations has recorded nearly seven settler attacks daily this year, the highest frequency on record. Beyond current violence, the government has moved forward with the E1 settlement plan, which aims to construct 1,234 homes. Critics suggest this project would effectively bifurcate the West Bank and isolate East Jerusalem, further fragmenting Palestinian movement and territory.