Israel has issued four new military orders to confiscate Palestinian land in the northern occupied West Bank, while Israeli settlers have established an unauthorized settlement outpost near Hebron, Palestinian organizations reported on Tuesday.
According to the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, the latest orders affect approximately 165 dunams (40.7 acres) across Qalqilya, Nablus, Tubas and the northern Jordan Valley.
The commission said the directives permit additional land confiscations and extend the boundaries of areas already targeted by previous military orders, with Israel citing security and military requirements.
It explained that the measures appear aimed at establishing buffer zones around illegal settlement outposts, expanding access roads used by settlements and strengthening existing military positions.
The commission cautioned that the consequences could reach beyond the specific plots identified in the orders, potentially limiting Palestinians’ movement and preventing them from accessing neighbouring lands.
Meanwhile, further south, the Palestinian rights organization Al-Baidar reported that Israeli settlers had established an unauthorized settlement outpost in the Humsa area near Dura, south of Hebron.
The organization warned that the development could accelerate the seizure of additional Palestinian property and create further difficulties for local residents seeking to remain in their communities.
The commission also documented efforts to establish 28 unauthorized settlement outposts across the occupied West Bank during October, including nine in the Hebron governorate.
Furthermore, it estimated that approximately 64,000 dunams (15,814 acres) of Palestinian land had been confiscated or brought under Israeli control through 231 military orders and other measures over the three years since October 2023.
According to official Palestinian statistics, approximately 750,000 Israeli settlers currently reside in 194 settlements and 400 outposts across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
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