SAFA- The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have issued a military order to seize approximately 1,152 dunums of Palestinian land in the northern occupied West Bank, as settler attacks, land seizures, and forced displacement continue to target Palestinian communities.
On Tuesday, IOF issued the order targeting land belonging to the towns of Sinjil, Al-Laban Al-Sharqiya, and Qaryut, north of Ramallah.
The order seeks to expand the Karmi Oz settlement and establish a contiguous geographic link between settlements and outposts located between Nablus and Ramallah.
A settlement-monitoring report states that the three communities share the targeted land. The order follows Israeli occupation government decisions since 2023 to legalize settlement outposts, including Givat Hariel and Givat Haroeh.
Settler attacks have escalated in a number of West Bank communities, and Israeli military protection has resulted in sieges, travel restrictions, and forced relocation. The escalation has particularly affected Jalud and Qusra south of Nablus, Turmusaya north of Ramallah, and Khirbet Al-Hummus in Masafer Yatta.
In Jalud, Palestinian resident Mahmoud Al-Toubasi and his family were forced from their home following a two-month siege during which settlers blocked access roads and cut off water and electricity. Armed settlers later raided the house and threatened the family with killing or burning them.
In Qusra, families in the Ras Al-Ain area have faced a prolonged siege and repeated settler attacks since the beginning of the year amid efforts to establish a new settlement outpost.
The escalation intensified on August 9, when settlers reinstalled tents, blocked roads with stones, and cut electricity and water supplies to Palestinian families.
IOF subsequently declared the area a closed military zone and forced residents to leave their homes. About 16 homes on Jabal Ras Al-Ain were reportedly converted into military barracks and observation posts.
The IOF forces also imposed a curfew, closed shops, and prevented Palestinian and international activists from reaching the besieged families with humanitarian assistance.
Experts have warned that such measures are contributing to the fragmentation of the occupied West Bank by isolating Palestinians into increasingly restricted enclaves, undermining the territorial contiguity needed for a viable Palestinian state and increasing the risk of further displacement.
These offensive measures come on the heels of continued settlement expansion and escalating settler attacks across the West Bank, with Israel using military orders and the legalization of outposts to facilitate further seizures of Palestinian land.
