The Israeli government has approved a proposal to register large areas of the occupied West Bank as state property, marking the first such decision since Israel’s occupation of the territory in 1967, according to the country’s public broadcaster Kan. The Palestinian Authority has strongly condemned the move, describing it as legally invalid and a violation of international law.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the main objective of Israel’s decision is to annex the West Bank and advance settlement expansion. The ministry declared on social media platform X that it rejects any attempt by the occupiers to convert Palestinian land into state property and denounced efforts to legitimize illegal settlements, land theft, and annexation.

The ministry further stated that the decision contradicts United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which deems Israeli settlements in all occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, illegal under international law.