West Bank
Israeli soldiers secure the area as a bulldozer demolishes Palestinian-owned homes in the village of Tarqumiyah, near the occupied West Bank city of Hebron on February 1, 2026 [Hazem Bader/AFP]

By Umut Uras and Urooba Jamal

Published On 9 Feb 20269 Feb 2026

  • Israel’s security cabinet has approved a series of sweeping measures to expand its powers across the occupied West Bank, including easing the sale of Palestinian land to Israeli settlers and expanding the powers of Israeli authorities in areas under Palestinian control.
  • Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called the Israeli decision dangerous, illegal and equal to de facto annexation, urging US President Donald Trump and the UN Security Council to intervene.