Bethlehem: Israeli occupation authorities have issued a new military order to seize 300 dunums of Palestinian-owned land in the mountain of Jabal al-Fureidis, known as Herodium mountain in the Arab Al-Ta'amra area, east of Bethlehem Governorate. The seizure is justified under the pretext of "expropriation for public purposes" and the "development of the archaeological site."
According to Palestine News and Information Agency, the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission disclosed the details of this order on Tuesday. Head of the Commission, Minister Moayad Shaaban, highlighted that this marks the third land expropriation order by Israeli authorities since the beginning of 2026. The order is seen as part of an accelerated policy to establish legal and administrative control over Palestinian land, which is then converted to serve colonial settlement projects through military orders aimed at stripping Palestinians of their land ownership rights.
Shaaban noted that this is the sixth expropriation directive targeting Palestinian archaeological and heritage sites in recent years. These include sites in Jericho Governorate, Salfit Governorate, Nablus Governorate, and north of Jerusalem. The orders indicate the increasing use of archaeological and historical narratives by Israeli authorities as tools for land seizure, annexation projects, and imposing colonial realities on occupied Palestinian territories.
Previously, in 2024, Israeli authorities had declared 171 dunums of the area as 'state land.' The new order expands the control by adding more than 130 dunums, totaling 300 dunums of seized area. This reflects a systematic plan to tighten control over the geographical area using various land seizure designations.
The expropriation policy by Israeli authorities in the occupied West Bank is described as a dangerous tool for imposing de facto annexation of Palestinian land. It relies on unilateral legislation and procedures imposed by the occupation, violating international law and legitimacy resolutions.
Shaaban emphasized that targeting Palestinian archaeological and heritage sites is not solely about land control. It is part of an effort to reshape the Palestinian historical and cultural landscape. This effort links these sites to the colonial settlement project, isolating them from their Palestinian surroundings and transforming them into tourist and settlement attractions that support the Israeli narrative.
He affirmed that the order is part of broader measures by the Israeli occupation government to strengthen control over Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. These measures aim to impose new geographical and legal realities, paving the way for further annexation projects and colonial settlement expansion at the expense of Palestinian rights, land, and resources.