Israeli occupation authorities announced on Wednesday it had approved the seizure of 12.7 square kilometers (4.9 square miles) of land in the occupied West Bank.

According to the Peace Now organization, which campaigns against the West Bank settlements, this is the largest land grab since the Oslo Accords in 1993, and follows similar move also in the Jordan Valley in March, east of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) in February, and in the so-called Etzion Bloc.

The new declaration involves land some 50 kilometers north of Jericho, immediately adjacent to the land appropriated in March.

The designation was issued on June 25 but only published today.

Since the start of the year, Israel has declared 23.7 square kilometers (9.15 square miles) in the Palestinian territory as so-called state land, Peace Now said.

Lands, settlements, outposts, settler violence, and more.

ANNEXATION IS HAPPENING.

Netanyahu and Smotrich are determined to fight against the entire world and the interests of the people of Israel for the benefit of a handful of messianic settlers.https://t.co/DBWXTpjROM

— Peace Now (@peacenowisrael) July 3, 2024

“Today, it is clear to everyone that this conflict cannot be resolved without a political settlement that establishes a Palestinian state alongside Israel,” Peace Now said in a statement.

“Still, the Israeli government chooses to actually make it difficult and distance us from the possibility of peace and stopping the bloodshed.”

Rights groups say the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank is aimed at reshaping the demography of the territory earmarked for a future Palestinian state.

Source: Agencies