Israel Approves Rules to Tighten Control Over West Bank

The new regulations aim to ease land purchases by Israeli settlers and grant officials more enforcement powers.

Feb. 8, 2026 at 7:31pm

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Israel's security cabinet has approved new rules that are intended to strengthen Israeli control over the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian presidency condemned the decision as 'dangerous' and an 'open Israeli attempt to legalize settlement expansion' and land confiscation. Jordan's government also criticized the move as 'aimed at imposing illegal Israeli sovereignty' and entrenching settlements.

Why it matters

These new rules represent a significant shift in policy that could accelerate the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and further complicate the prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The increased powers granted to Israeli officials could also lead to greater restrictions on Palestinian life and governance in the occupied territory.

The details

According to Israeli media reports, the new rules remove restrictions that previously prevented private Jewish individuals from buying land in the occupied West Bank. The regulations will also grant Israeli officials stronger powers to enforce laws on Palestinians in the area. The West Bank is territory that Palestinians seek for a future independent state, alongside Gaza and occupied East Jerusalem.

  • The security cabinet approved the new rules on February 9, 2026.

The players

Palestinian Presidency

The office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which condemned the Israeli decision as 'dangerous' and an 'open Israeli attempt to legalize settlement expansion' and land confiscation.

Jordan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Jordanian government agency that condemned the Israeli decision as 'aimed at imposing illegal Israeli sovereignty' and entrenching settlements.

Hamas

The Palestinian Islamist group that called on Palestinians in the West Bank to 'intensify the confrontation with the occupation and its settlers'.

Bezalel Smotrich

The far-right Israeli Minister of Finance who stated that 'we will continue to bury the idea of a Palestinian state'.

Hussein Al-Sheikh

The Palestinian Vice President who said the reported Israeli steps to increase annexation and create new facts on the ground in the occupied West Bank are a violation of all signed agreements, a serious escalation, and a violation of international law.

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What they’re saying

“we will continue to bury the idea of a Palestinian state.”

— Bezalel Smotrich, Israeli Minister of Finance (newsy-today.com)

“These unilateral measures aim to eliminate political prospects, obliterate the two-state solution, and drag the entire region into further tension and instability.”

— Hussein Al-Sheikh, Palestinian Vice President (Wafa)

What’s next

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, three days after the new rules were approved.

The takeaway

These new Israeli rules represent a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, potentially accelerating the expansion of settlements and further undermining the prospects for a negotiated two-state solution. The international community will be closely watching how this development impacts the already fragile situation in the occupied West Bank.