Tensions Rise Over Israel’s New Regulations, Palestine Seeks UN Intervention

International Desk | PNN

Israel’s security cabinet has approved several new regulations regarding the occupied West Bank, paving the way for further strengthening Israeli control over the area. Following reports in local media, the move has triggered strong reactions from the Palestinian Authority and other parties.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Palestinian Presidency described the decision as “extremely dangerous,” saying it is an open attempt to legitimize settlement expansion and land seizure. President Mahmoud Abbas’s office called for immediate intervention from the United States and the United Nations Security Council.

Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the move, stating that it represents an attempt to impose Israeli sovereignty illegally over the West Bank and further entrench unlawful settlements.

Palestinian resistance group Hamas called on people in the West Bank to intensify resistance against Israeli occupation and settlers.

According to Israeli media reports, the new regulations will make it easier for Israeli settlers to purchase land in the West Bank. The measures also expand the authority of Israeli officials to enforce laws on Palestinians. Restrictions that previously limited private land purchases by Jewish citizens are being relaxed.

The measures also include transferring control of certain religious sites to Israeli authorities and strengthening surveillance and law enforcement in areas administered by the Palestinian Authority.

Al Jazeera correspondent Nida Ibrahim, reporting from Birzeit in the West Bank, said this is the most severe and risky step since Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, effectively advancing toward annexation.

Palestinians claim the West Bank, along with Gaza and occupied East Jerusalem, as part of a future independent Palestinian state. However, large portions of the West Bank remain under Israeli military control, with limited areas governed by the Palestinian Authority.