Israel land move likely to escalate tensions

Israel has confirmed it was planning to appropriate a large tract of fertile land in the occupied West Bank, close to Jordan, a move likely to exacerbate tensions with Western allies and already drawing international condemnation.

COGAT, a unit of Israel’s Defence Ministry, said the political decision to seize the territory had been taken and “the lands are in the final stages of being declared state lands”.

The appropriation covers 154 hectares (380 acres) in the Jordan Valley close to Jericho, an area where Israel already has many settlement farms built on land Palestinians seek for a state.

It is the largest land seizure since August 2014.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon denounced the move.

“Settlement activities are a violation of international law and run counter to the public pronouncements of the government of Israel supporting a two-state solution to the conflict,” Ban said in a statement.

Palestinian officials denounced the seizure.

“Israel is stealing land in the Jordan Valley under the pretext it wants to annex it,” said Hanan Ashrawi, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation.