East Jerusalem lands: 370 dunams seized for Mishmar Yehuda settlement

Israeli authorities have issued a new declaration classifying 370.28 dunams of land in Abu Dis and Arab Swehra, located in the Jerusalem governorate, as “government property.” This move follows a 1967 military order regarding state and abandoned property.

The declaration is part of an ongoing process to establish the Mishmar Yehuda settlement. Combined with a previous declaration from December 2025 involving approximately 3,380 dunams, the total land area being allocated for this project now reaches about 3,750 dunams. This expansion coincides with the preparation of an initial master plan for the settlement, which includes approximately 3,600 housing units intended to create a large settlement city east of Jerusalem.

According to the Wall and Settlement Against the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, these successive land declarations aim to close gaps between existing settlement blocs. This process creates a continuous belt east of Jerusalem, which officials state deepens the separation of the city from its Palestinian surroundings and restricts the geographic area available to Abu Dis, Al-Eizariya, Arab Swehra, and surrounding Bedouin communities.