Israel orders seizure of Palestinian land in Beitunia for military expansion

The Israeli military has issued an order to seize approximately 37.5 dunams (roughly 9.3 acres) of Palestinian land in Beitunia, located west of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank. The seizure is intended to expand an existing military site near the Beit Horon settlement and Highway 443.

The Wall and Colonization Resistance Commission reported that the order targets specific parcels and access roads, creating a contiguous area under Israeli military control. While such orders do not formally transfer legal ownership, the Commission noted they effectively deprive Palestinian landowners of the ability to possess or use their property.

This action follows a pattern of land seizures in the region; in July, Israel issued 31 similar orders involving approximately 205 acres of land. International bodies, including the United Nations and the International Court of Justice, have maintained that Israeli settlements and related land seizures in the West Bank violate international law.