Israel Seizes Land Near Ramallah for Military and Settlement Use
Israeli authorities seized thousands of dunams and declared millions of square meters of land near Ramallah as state property to expand settlement connectivity and infrastructure.
The Government of Israel executed two separate land seizures near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank between October and November 2026. On October 28, military authorities issued order T/48/26 to seize 26.473 dunams of land in the towns of Deir Nizam, Umm Safa, and Atara. This seizure, effective until the end of 2028, is designated for the construction of the Ateret–Neve Tzuf emergency axis to improve connectivity between the Ateret and Halamish settlements.
Of the land seized for the emergency route, 5.891 dunams are classified as state land, while 20.582 dunams are not. The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission warned that this infrastructure will restrict Palestinian landowners' access to their plots and expand Israeli control in the region.
In a separate action, Israeli authorities declared 2,536,440 square meters of land near the villages of Beitillu, Al-Mazra’a Al-Qibliya, and Deir Ammar as state property. This land is now under the administration of Israel's property custodian. The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission stated this designation facilitates the expansion of the Talmonim settlement bloc, including the settlements of Kerem Reim, Neria, and Nahliel, toward the Talmon and Dolev outposts. Affected parties have 45 days to file objections through the Objections Committee at the Ofer military camp.
