Across the occupied West Bank, a new political move is taking shape as the Israeli leadership prepares to formally recognise nearly one hundred settler farming sites that have been operating for years without authorisation. These small outposts, scattered across hills and strategic ridges, have long played a central role in reshaping the landscape and restricting Palestinian access to large stretches of agricultural land.

The planned approval is expected to convert these sites, previously considered illegal even under Israeli law, into officially sanctioned settlements. Many of them stand on privately owned Palestinian property, overlooking vast areas used for grazing and farming. Once legalised, they would cement settler control over thousands of dunams, reinforcing a pattern of land seizure that has steadily expanded despite international objections.

The move comes at a time when the West Bank remains under tightening pressure, with communities already facing home demolitions, movement restrictions, and growing settler violence during the ongoing genocidal war on Gaza. Legalising the farms would not only legitimise existing outposts but also enable further infrastructure, fencing, and security installations that would permanently isolate surrounding Palestinian communities from their land.

Critics argue that the decision marks another step in a long-standing strategy aimed at fragmenting the territory and deepening Israeli control over Area C, where most agricultural resources are located. Palestinians fear the measure will accelerate displacement, erode rural livelihoods, and consolidate a system in which settlement expansion is pursued while indigenous land rights are sidelined.

For many families in affected regions, the announcement is viewed as yet another blow in a year marked by widespread upheaval, as the cumulative impact of settlements, military restrictions, and the genocidal war continues to reshape life throughout the occupied territory.