Israel accelerates land seizures and settlement expansion in southern Hebron

Israel is expanding settlement activity at an unprecedented rate in southern Hebron in the occupied West Bank, with land bulldozed almost daily to prepare for new outposts amid rising violence against Palestinian residents.

In recent days, Israeli forces have seized around 10,000 dunams of land stretching from al-Burj in the north to al-Ramadin in the south, eastwards towards al-Dhahiriya.

After 10 April, Israeli bulldozers began excavation work at night on the highest peaks of the region. Yousef Talhameh, head of al-Burj village council, told The New Arab's Arabic sister outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that "settlers expelled anyone who tried to approach at gunpoint under the direct protection of Israeli soldiers".

"Days later, armed settlers returned with caravans and tents and established a settlement outpost," he added.

According to a report by Kerem Navot, an Israeli organisation monitoring settlement activity, settlers also established an additional outpost "within the area of influence of the Eshtemoa settlement". The report warned that these moves "threaten the future of thousands of dunams of Palestinian agricultural land", and noted that pastoral settlement outposts are "established with direct support from the army and government authorities who encourage and fund this aggressive form of settlement expansion".

Land seizures

Talhameh rejected Israeli claims that the land had been sold, saying, "The facts and documents completely refute this allegation."

Around "seven Palestinian families, representing about 20,000 citizens, are gathering ownership documents, including Ottoman-era title deeds, Palestinian legal papers, and even documents issued by the Israeli authorities themselves, all proving that the land is purely Palestinian".

He stressed that "although proximity to the separation wall has deprived the land of building opportunities, the owners have never abandoned it; they have continued to cultivate and remain on it."

Despite recent popular protest actions, Israeli forces "prevented dozens of citizens from reaching their land, assaulted some, and arrested others".

Yet Talhameh affirmed that residents "insist on continuing activities to assert their presence and prevent confiscation from becoming a reality," adding that "remaining on the land is the only option to confront this dangerous settlement plan".

Settlement expansion

"What is currently happening south of Dura is a clear repetition of what is happening in Masafer Yatta," Abdelhadi Hantash of the Committee for the Defence of West Bank Lands said.

He warned that settlement expansion aims to "isolate Palestinian lands between the Eshtemoa settlement, nearby outposts, and the Green Line," noting that the "stone crusher at Haggai settlement plays a central role in providing material for building and linking outposts together".

Hantash cautioned that agricultural outposts, even if only covering a few dunams, are often a prelude to seizing thousands of dunams.

"Once Palestinians are prevented from reaching their lands, settlers are provided with water, electricity, and paved roads, legitimising their presence and opening the door for future expansion," he said.

He further argued that "what is happening is the practical implementation of annexation by imposing Israeli law on Palestinian land within the West Bank," warning that Israeli authorities prevent Palestinians from approaching lands near the separation wall by up to a kilometre, effectively placing them under settler control.

"The settlement strategy is focused on southern Hebron," Hantash said, "with a push to link agricultural outposts with industrial outposts along the Green Line, turning them into massive settlement blocs."

He warned that even small developments, like a single caravan, often expand into full settlements once infrastructure is added, as seen with Eshtemoa. Since early 2023, six new outposts have been established south of Dura, marking a sharp escalation in settlement activity

"Israel often claims these lands are 'state lands', but many Palestinians legally own them, with Ottoman-era documents proving it, although Israeli courts rarely deliver justice," Hantash explained.