'Israel' isolates two West Bank cities, expands settlement

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Palestine

'Israel' confiscates 695 dunams to separate two West Bank cities, expands settlement.
Experts warn of accelerated fragmentation and creation of isolated Palestinian enclaves.

'Israel' has effectively cut the geographic connection between Qalqilya and Salfit by confiscating 695 dunams of Palestinian land to build a settlement, experts say. The expansion of Karni Shomron is set to transform it into a major settlement under what 'Israel' describes as a “highly strategic” area.

The seizure is part of a broader settlement plan that aims to fragment Palestinian territories, creating isolated enclaves and limiting movement between cities. Palestinian authorities have not publicly opposed the move, despite the land being designated for a future Palestinian state under past agreements with 'Israel'.

Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the plan has been under discussion in Israeli government circles for years but was only implemented recently without confrontation.

Settlement expert Jamal Juma’a warned the project reflects a rapid and unprecedented push by 'Israel' to restructure the West Bank. He noted that similar measures have previously isolated Jenin and now target Qalqilya and Salfit.

“The plan includes extensive settlement axes, infrastructure projects like alternative tunnels, and road closures,” Juma’a said. “It is designed to transform Palestinian geography, confining communities to isolated cantons and reinforcing the separation between governorates.”

He added that the plan also integrates settlements with access routes toward Nablus-Ramallah and the Jerusalem area, part of a broader strategy to expand 10,000 new settlement units across the West Bank.

According to experts, these moves represent a fast-paced effort to impose facts on the ground and reshape both the demographic and geographic realities of the West Bank.