Israeli authorities declare more than 2,500 dunums of land near Ramallah “state property”
The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission said Israeli occupation authorities issued a declaration on November 3, 2026, designating 2,536.44 dunums of land belonging to the villages of Beitillu, al-Mazra'a al-Qibliya and Deir Ammar, northwest of Ramallah, as “state property.”
The declaration, numbered הכ/08/26, covers areas surrounding the settlement of Kerem Reim and is based on Military Order No. 59 of 1967 concerning government property.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the commission said the lands covered by the declaration are distributed across Natural Blocks 1 and 6 in Beitillu, Blocks 2, 3 and 6 in al-Mazra'a al-Qibliya, and Block 5 in Deir Ammar. The accompanying map shows the declaration's boundaries extending across large, irregularly shaped areas interspersed with excluded parcels, making it necessary to verify each affected plot against the declared boundaries and relevant land-rights documents.
In its spatial analysis of the declaration, the commission said the measure could facilitate greater connectivity among settlements in the “Talmonim” settlement bloc, particularly Kerem Reim, Neria and Nahliel, and their extension toward Talmon and Dolev. This process is reinforced by the spread of herding outposts, which extend de facto control beyond built-up areas by pursuing farmers and shepherds and preventing the use of land between settlement sites.
The commission said that bringing additional areas under the “state property” classification would help consolidate this expansion and strengthen the links between its components, increasing pressure on surrounding Palestinian villages.
It warned that the cumulative effect of these measures, across the area stretching from the settlements of Halamish and Ateret to the Talmonim bloc and Dolev, threatens to further fragment geographical contiguity in the northwest Ramallah area. This would strengthen connections between settlements and their roads while fragmenting Palestinian space and restricting residents' movement and access to their lands.
The commission stressed that challenging the declaration requires documenting incidents in which access has been denied and attacks have taken place, alongside collecting ownership, land-use and agricultural cultivation records. These documents should be included in legal objections, which must be submitted within 45 days of the declaration's publication.
The commission also warned against the use of “state land” declarations to entrench control over Palestinian land and pave the way for further settlement expansion. It said placing these areas under the administration of Israel's government property custodian would strengthen the authorities' ability to control their use and allocate them in the future, threatening the agricultural and urban development of the three villages and placing further pressure on their land reserves and capacity for natural growth.
The declaration allows anyone claiming rights to all or part of the land concerned to file an objection within 45 days of its publication on the land and at liaison offices. Objections must be submitted to the Objections Committee at Ofer military camp, in accordance with the procedures set out in the declaration.
The commission emphasized the need for urgent legal action, including gathering ownership, land-use and agricultural records and verifying plot boundaries in coordination with local councils and relevant legal institutions, to protect residents' rights and challenge measures aimed at taking control of their land.
WAFA
The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission said Israeli occupation authorities issued a declaration on November 3, 2026, designating 2,536.44 dunums of land belonging to the villages of Beitillu, al-Mazra'a al-Qibliya and Deir Ammar, northwest of Ramallah, as “state property.”
The declaration, numbered הכ/08/26, covers areas surrounding the settlement of Kerem Reim and is based on Military Order No. 59 of 1967 concerning government property.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the commission said the lands covered by the declaration are distributed across Natural Blocks 1 and 6 in Beitillu, Blocks 2, 3 and 6 in al-Mazra'a al-Qibliya, and Block 5 in Deir Ammar. The accompanying map shows the declaration's boundaries extending across large, irregularly shaped areas interspersed with excluded parcels, making it necessary to verify each affected plot against the declared boundaries and relevant land-rights documents.
In its spatial analysis of the declaration, the commission said the measure could facilitate greater connectivity among settlements in the “Talmonim” settlement bloc, particularly Kerem Reim, Neria and Nahliel, and their extension toward Talmon and Dolev. This process is reinforced by the spread of herding outposts, which extend de facto control beyond built-up areas by pursuing farmers and shepherds and preventing the use of land between settlement sites.
The commission said that bringing additional areas under the “state property” classification would help consolidate this expansion and strengthen the links between its components, increasing pressure on surrounding Palestinian villages.
It warned that the cumulative effect of these measures, across the area stretching from the settlements of Halamish and Ateret to the Talmonim bloc and Dolev, threatens to further fragment geographical contiguity in the northwest Ramallah area. This would strengthen connections between settlements and their roads while fragmenting Palestinian space and restricting residents' movement and access to their lands.
The commission stressed that challenging the declaration requires documenting incidents in which access has been denied and attacks have taken place, alongside collecting ownership, land-use and agricultural cultivation records. These documents should be included in legal objections, which must be submitted within 45 days of the declaration's publication.
The commission also warned against the use of “state land” declarations to entrench control over Palestinian land and pave the way for further settlement expansion. It said placing these areas under the administration of Israel's government property custodian would strengthen the authorities' ability to control their use and allocate them in the future, threatening the agricultural and urban development of the three villages and placing further pressure on their land reserves and capacity for natural growth.
The declaration allows anyone claiming rights to all or part of the land concerned to file an objection within 45 days of its publication on the land and at liaison offices. Objections must be submitted to the Objections Committee at Ofer military camp, in accordance with the procedures set out in the declaration.
The commission emphasized the need for urgent legal action, including gathering ownership, land-use and agricultural records and verifying plot boundaries in coordination with local councils and relevant legal institutions, to protect residents' rights and challenge measures aimed at taking control of their land.
WAFA
The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission said Israeli occupation authorities issued a declaration on November 3, 2026, designating 2,536.44 dunums of land belonging to the villages of Beitillu, al-Mazra'a al-Qibliya and Deir Ammar, northwest of Ramallah, as “state property.”
The declaration, numbered הכ/08/26, covers areas surrounding the settlement of Kerem Reim and is based on Military Order No. 59 of 1967 concerning government property.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the commission said the lands covered by the declaration are distributed across Natural Blocks 1 and 6 in Beitillu, Blocks 2, 3 and 6 in al-Mazra'a al-Qibliya, and Block 5 in Deir Ammar. The accompanying map shows the declaration's boundaries extending across large, irregularly shaped areas interspersed with excluded parcels, making it necessary to verify each affected plot against the declared boundaries and relevant land-rights documents.
In its spatial analysis of the declaration, the commission said the measure could facilitate greater connectivity among settlements in the “Talmonim” settlement bloc, particularly Kerem Reim, Neria and Nahliel, and their extension toward Talmon and Dolev. This process is reinforced by the spread of herding outposts, which extend de facto control beyond built-up areas by pursuing farmers and shepherds and preventing the use of land between settlement sites.
The commission said that bringing additional areas under the “state property” classification would help consolidate this expansion and strengthen the links between its components, increasing pressure on surrounding Palestinian villages.
It warned that the cumulative effect of these measures, across the area stretching from the settlements of Halamish and Ateret to the Talmonim bloc and Dolev, threatens to further fragment geographical contiguity in the northwest Ramallah area. This would strengthen connections between settlements and their roads while fragmenting Palestinian space and restricting residents' movement and access to their lands.
The commission stressed that challenging the declaration requires documenting incidents in which access has been denied and attacks have taken place, alongside collecting ownership, land-use and agricultural cultivation records. These documents should be included in legal objections, which must be submitted within 45 days of the declaration's publication.
The commission also warned against the use of “state land” declarations to entrench control over Palestinian land and pave the way for further settlement expansion. It said placing these areas under the administration of Israel's government property custodian would strengthen the authorities' ability to control their use and allocate them in the future, threatening the agricultural and urban development of the three villages and placing further pressure on their land reserves and capacity for natural growth.
The declaration allows anyone claiming rights to all or part of the land concerned to file an objection within 45 days of its publication on the land and at liaison offices. Objections must be submitted to the Objections Committee at Ofer military camp, in accordance with the procedures set out in the declaration.
The commission emphasized the need for urgent legal action, including gathering ownership, land-use and agricultural records and verifying plot boundaries in coordination with local councils and relevant legal institutions, to protect residents' rights and challenge measures aimed at taking control of their land.
WAFA
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Israeli authorities declare more than 2,500 dunums of land near Ramallah “state property”
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