Israel seizes West Bank land for settlement road to Noa and Emek Dotan

The Israeli army seized land in the northern West Bank that lies in an Area A zone, previously under full Palestinian Authority control, to build a road linking the planned settlements Noa and Emek Dotan. Military commander Avi Bluth signed 15 orders authorising the use of an existing unpaved stretch, which the army says is needed for the “effective protection of Israeli localities” and will remain accessible to Palestinians.

Human‑rights NGOs such as Kerem Navot warn that this is the first instance of an Area A seizure for settlement purposes and could breach international law. The move fits the broader settlement expansion driven by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right‑wing coalition, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich advocating policies aimed at preventing a sovereign Palestinian state.