Key facts
- Peace Now alleges Israel is pursuing undeclared annexation of the West Bank.
- Measures include expanding the Civil Administration's authority and settlement growth.
- The Civil Administration's powers now extend to environmental, water, and archaeological oversight in Areas A and B.
- Military orders have been used to requisition Palestinian land in Area A for settlement roads.
- Settlement outposts have been established and expanded in Area B.
- Israel has withheld significant tax revenues owed to the Palestinian Authority.
A prominent Israeli advocacy group, Peace Now, has accused the Israeli government of pursuing an undeclared annexation of the occupied West Bank through a series of coordinated measures. The group claims these actions, which undermine the Oslo Accords, include expanding the powers of the Israeli Civil Administration, increasing settlement construction, and weakening the Palestinian Authority.
According to a report by Peace Now, one significant measure authorized in February grants the Civil Administration authority over environmental protection, water, and archaeology in Areas A and B of the West Bank. Peace Now argues that these broad definitions allow for intervention in Palestinian construction across much of the territory.
The report also highlights the Civil Administration's move in June to strip the Hebron municipality of planning and construction powers related to settlements and holy sites. Furthermore, Israeli military orders in July requisitioned Palestinian land in Area A to build a road connecting two settlements, an action Peace Now states is unprecedented for civilian settlement purposes since the Oslo Accords.
Peace Now documented at least 23 settlement outposts established in Area B over the past two and a half years, noting their rebuilding and expansion even after occasional military removal. The group asserts these actions are part of an organized policy to collapse the Palestinian Authority and facilitate settlement expansion into Palestinian cities and villages.
Additionally, Peace Now points to a consistent campaign to weaken the Palestinian Authority economically, politically, and territorially, citing the withholding of tax revenues collected by Israel on behalf of the PA. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, however, defended the government's actions, calling them a 'correcting of injustice' and the establishment of a 'security belt' to prevent a Palestinian state.