West Bank & Jerusalem
Madar: Integrated Israeli Policies Fast‑Track Annexation in Area C
Photo via IMEMC News
The Palestinian Center for Israeli Studies released a report warning that Israel is accelerating de facto annexation of the occupied West Bank through coordinated planning restrictions, demolitions, and colonial expansion. The study, prepared by researcher Abdel Qader Badawi, concludes that Israeli policies in Area C—comprising roughly 60% of the West Bank—form a unified strategy to impose permanent facts on the ground and eliminate Palestinian presence.
Demolitions have escalated dramatically under the current Israeli government, rising from an average of 537 annual structures (2010–2022) to 966 structures (2023–2025). Israel demolished 2,461 Palestinian structures in 2024 and 2025 alone. Meanwhile, Palestinians in Area C received permits for only 66 housing units between 2009 and 2020, while colonies received over 22,000 approvals. Palestinian permits dropped to zero in 2020.
The report attributes these developments to institutional changes led by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who transferred powers over land and planning from military to civilian bodies. Between 2023 and 2025, Israel established 185 new colonial outposts, including 130 grazing farms controlling over one million dunams—approximately 18% of the West Bank.
Summary curated by Times of Palestine. The full story belongs to its publisher.
