Psagot settlement; 'Israel' claims it annexed 15 dunams to buffer this settlement
'Israel' seizes 15 dunams near al-Bireh in central West Bank
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- 'Israel' seizes 15 dunams of Palestinian land for a settlement buffer zone.
- Rights groups warn this is a prelude to formal annexation of the West Bank.
'Israeli' authorities issued a military order Thursday seizing 15.3 dunams (15,342 square meters) of Palestinian land in Al-Bireh in the central occupied West Bank to build a security perimeter around the illegal settlement of Psagot, built on Jabal al-Tawil east of the city.
According to a statement released on Thursday by the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, the military order (No. 115/25/T) authorizes military command to seize control of land across four registered basins in Al-Bireh to construct a 3.8-kilometer "security route".
The order, signed on June 18, 2025, remains in effect until December 31, 2027, giving affected landowners seven days to file objections.
The commission warned that the planned route forms a near-complete ring around Psagot, isolating an additional 380 dunams of Palestinian agricultural land situated between the city’s urban boundary and the settlement.
While not formally listed in the confiscation order, this land will be placed under strict military restrictions, effectively cutting off Palestinian owners from accessing their property.
Read more: Netanyahu says 'Israel' to expand settlements in West Bank despite global backlash
Buffer zone expansion
The commission emphasized that military seizure orders have transitioned from exceptional security measures into a routine policy for expanding settlement control and restricting Palestinian land access without formal zoning procedures.
Since October 7, 2023, 'Israeli' forces have issued 46 military orders creating buffer zones around illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank.
Approximately 750,000 'Israelis’ reside in 156 settlements and 360 outposts built illegally across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Settlers, backed by ‘Israeli’ troops, routinely carry out violent attacks, land demolitions, and farm burnings aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinian communities.
Palestinian rights groups warn that the acceleration of land seizures, settlement outposts, and buffer zones serves as a prelude to formal annexation of the occupied West Bank by 'Israeli' authorities, undermining the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
