UN slams Israel’s West Bank land grab as ‘roadblock to peace’
Abdullateef Fowewe
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has criticised Israel’s decision to resume land registration procedures in the occupied West Bank, warning it could dispossess Palestinians of their property and derail a two-state solution.
“I condemn the Israeli Government’s decision to resume land registration procedures in the occupied West Bank. The decision could lead to the dispossession of Palestinians of their property & risks expanding unlawful Israeli control over land in the area,” Guterres wrote on X on February 17, 2026.
The policy, approved on February 15, marks the first such initiative since 1997. It allows the Israeli state to claim unregistered lands, a move rights groups decry as facilitating de facto annexation of Palestinian territories and violating international law.
“I call on Israel to reverse these measures & on all to preserve the only path to lasting peace, a negotiated two-State solution in line with international law,” Guterres added in the same post.
