'To Kill the Idea of a Palestinian State' Israel to Expand Law Enforcement in Palestinian-controlled West Bank Areas, Defying Oslo Accords
Monday, February 9, 2026 at 04:00PM The decision, expected to take effect in areas of the West Bank under Palestinian Authority control, will include prohibitions on water violations, damage to archaeological sites and environmental hazards. It will also introduce measures to ease the sale of Palestinian land to Jews
by Matan Golan, Jonathan Lis and Noa Shpigel 8 February 2026 Haaretz
Israel's security cabinet on Sunday approved the expansion of oversight and enforcement measures in Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank, according to a joint statement by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz.
The decision, which runs counter to the Oslo Accords, under which Israel has no authority over civilian matters in the West Bank, and is expected to take effect in Areas A and B under Palestinian Authority control, will include prohibitions on water violations, damage to archaeological sites and environmental hazards. It will also introduce measures to ease the sale of Palestinian land to Jews.
"We will continue to kill the idea of a Palestinian state," Smotrich said in a statement shortly after the cabinet meeting.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, last month. Credit: Naama Grynbaum
The decision also includes the transfer of building licensing and construction in Hebron from the local Palestinian municipality to the Civil Administration, the IDF branch that oversees zoning, planning and building permits as well as resource management and security coordination in the West Bank.
As part of the decision, an independent local government will be established for the Jewish settlement in Hebron, allowing it to address settlers' needs directly without relying on Palestinian mechanisms that, it said, involved "a complex and frustrating process."
The Cave of the Patriarchs compound in Hebron, last year. Credit: Itai Ron
According to Smotrich and Katz, the cabinet approved the cancellation of a Jordanian law that prohibited the sale of land to non-Arabs in the West Bank. The government had previously attempted to repeal the law through legislation, as settlers are currently barred from purchasing land privately and must do so via companies registered with the Civil Administration.
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Smotrich further stated that Jews will no longer be required to obtain what he described as a "complex transaction permit" from the Civil Administration to purchase land across the West Bank. He added that the decision also lifts confidentiality restrictions on land registry records in the region, enabling potential buyers to identify landowners and contact them directly.
According to the statement, the cabinet also approved transferring the Rachel's Tomb compound in Bethlehem to an Israeli administration, separating it from the Bethlehem municipality. The new body will be responsible for cleaning, garbage removal, landscaping and ongoing maintenance.
If implemented, the decision could have far-reaching consequences. For example, lifting the confidentiality of land registration records is expected to create an opening for accelerating the forgery of land purchase documents, a phenomenon already identified in the West Bank.
Additionally, the transfer of building permit authorities in Hebron to the Civil Administration constitutes a violation of the 1997 Hebron Agreement, which would allow changes in the Old City. The seizure of planning authorities in the city's Cave of the Patriarchs compound is an especially volatile change to the status quo.
The expansion of enforcement measures in several civilian areas in Palestinian areas of the West Bank runs counter to the Oslo Accords. As these powers relate to the protection of antiquities, the prevention of water-related offenses and environmental hazards, they could carry significant consequences. These include, for example, the closure of waste treatment facilities without viable alternatives, the sealing of wells and the takeover of archaeological sites.
In October, the Knesset advanced a bill that would annex the West Bank. The preliminary vote, which comes prior to the three required votes in the Knesset before becoming law, passed with 25 lawmakers in support and 24 against. Netanyahu's Likud party called the vote a "stunt by the opposition aimed at harming our relations with the United States."
The vote triggered condemnations from U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
President Trump downplayed the effect of the vote. "Don't worry about the West Bank," Trump told reporters at the White House. "Israel is not going to do anything with the West Bank."
The Peace Now nonprofit said in response to the decision that "Netanyahu promised to collapse Hamas in Gaza but in practice chose to bring down the Palestinian Authority."
"[The prime minister] cancels agreements that Israel signed, and imposes de facto annexation [of the West Bank], in complete opposition to the will of the people, the Israeli interest and the clear stance of President Trump," it added.
Emek Shaveh, an Israeli anti-occupation group founded by archaeologists, also condemned the move. "This is yet another aggressive step in Israel's cultural appropriation of West Bank heritage, religious and antiquity sites and turning them into a weapon against the local residents," it said in a statement.
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