Israel declares 2,536 dunums near Ramallah 'state property'

Israeli authorities designated 2,536.44 dunums of land belonging to three Palestinian villages northwest of Ramallah as "state property" on Monday, the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission said, as reported by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

The declaration, numbered הכ/08/26, covers land belonging to Beitillu, al-Mazra'a al-Qibliya and Deir Ammar and surrounds the settlement of Kerem Reim.

It is based on Military Order No. 59 of 1967 concerning government property.

The commission said the affected lands are spread across several blocks in the three villages, and that the map's irregular boundaries mean each plot must be checked against the declared borders and land-rights documents.

In its analysis, the commission said the measure could link settlements in the Talmonim bloc, including Kerem Reim, Neria and Nahliel, and extend them toward Talmon and Dolev.

It said herding outposts were helping extend Israeli control beyond built-up areas by pressuring farmers and shepherds.

The commission warned that the cumulative effect of such measures, from Halamish and Ateret to the Talmonim bloc and Dolev, threatens to further split the geographic contiguity of northwest Ramallah.

It said placing the land under the custody of Israel's government property custodian would strengthen authorities' ability to control and allocate it in future.

Anyone claiming rights to all or part of the land may file an objection within 45 days of the declaration's publication, the commission said.

Objections must be submitted to the Objections Committee at Ofer military camp, following the procedures set out in the declaration.

The commission urged residents to document denied access and attacks, and to gather ownership, land-use and cultivation records for their objections, in coordination with local councils and legal institutions.