Israel’s security cabinet on Sunday approved new measures that would ease land purchases by Israelis from Palestinians and grant Israel the authority to police water-related offenses, damage to archaeological sites and environmental hazards in so-called Areas A and B. The areas are now administered by the Palestinian Authority under the Oslo Accords, which aimed to achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians through a two-state solution.
Under the new changes, sealed land registries will be published, making it easier for prospective buyers to find and approach owners. A law preventing the sale of West Bank land to outsiders that has been in place since Jordan controlled the territory will now be repealed.
The moves follow Israel’s approval last summer of thousands of housing units in a controversial settlement near East Jerusalem, and the rapid expansion of outposts and roads that have further divided Palestinian areas.