The Israeli occupation authorities have confiscated approximately 70 dunams of land from three Palestinian villages in southern Nablus, further tightening their grip on the occupied West Bank under the guise of “security zones.”

The targeted lands are located in the villages of Qaryut, Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, and As-Sawiya, according to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission in Palestine. Cited under military order T/136/25, the occupation declared the area a so-called “military zone,” claiming the seizure was for “military and security purposes.” The order effectively turns the land into a security buffer surrounding the illegal Eli settlement.

Of the confiscated area, 15 dunams were categorized by Israeli authorities as “state land,” while 54 dunams remain privately owned by Palestinian residents. The military order is valid until December 31, 2027, though the objection period was limited to only one week and officially published after the deadline, widely perceived as an attempt to prevent legal challenges.

The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission condemned the move, calling it part of Israel’s systematic policy to seize Palestinian lands under fabricated security pretexts. Since the start of 2025, Israeli authorities have reportedly issued 53 separate confiscation orders citing so-called “military needs,” reflecting a rapidly accelerating campaign to expand illegal settlements and entrench control over the West Bank.

Local Palestinian residents denounced the confiscation as part of a broader effort to displace communities and erase Palestinian presence from strategic areas. Landowners declared their determination to resist, affirming that the lands “belong to their rightful owners and will not be surrendered to occupation forces or settlers.”

Human rights organizations warned that these land seizures violate international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention, and are intended to create a continuous network of illegal settlements that fragment Palestinian territories and obstruct the realization of a sovereign Palestinian state.

This latest action underscores Israel’s ongoing efforts to consolidate control over the West Bank while disregarding the rights and livelihoods of the Palestinian people. (ILKHA)