Key facts
- Israel has ordered the confiscation of large tracts of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank to expand Route 60.
- The expansion aims to add lanes to the settler road and strengthen links between illegal Jewish settlements.
- Palestinian landowners have received notices of confiscation and have 60 days to appeal.
- The land targeted includes thousands of dunams planted with olive trees, some reportedly over a thousand years old.
- The Palestinian Ministry of Education condemned the recent demolition of Yanun Elementary School by Israeli settlers.
- Israeli authorities have seized over 4,379 dunams of Palestinian land in the first half of 2026.
Israel has issued orders to confiscate large tracts of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank to expand Route 60, a major settler road. The project aims to add new lanes and strengthen links between illegal Jewish settlements, leading to the expropriation of privately owned agricultural land. Palestinian landowners, such as Taysir Salem, face losing ancestral farms planted with trees, some reportedly over a thousand years old. Farmers found confiscation notices discarded on their land, stating they have 60 days to appeal. This action coincides with settler campaigns to intimidate residents and prevent access to their land. The Palestinian Ministry of Education also condemned the recent demolition of Yanun Elementary School by Israeli settlers, calling it a violation of international law and part of a systematic policy against Palestinian children's education. Israeli authorities have seized over 4,379 dunams of Palestinian land in the first half of 2026 under various pretexts, contributing to settlement expansion and fragmentation of Palestinian territories.