Israel orders seizure of Palestinian land to expand West Bank military site

Israel has issued a military order to seize 37.5 dunams (about 9.3 acres) of Palestinian land in the central occupied West Bank to expand an existing military site, a Palestinian government body said Sunday. The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission said the targeted land in the city of Beitunia lies adjacent to the illegal Israeli settlement of Beit Horon and near Route 443. Military maps show that the plots and roads covered by the order form a contiguous area linked to the existing military site, the commission said. The order gives an Israeli Defense Ministry official full possession and use of the land for 60 days from the date it was signed. Palestinian landowners and others affected by the decision have seven days following a field inspection to file objections with Israeli authorities. They may also seek usage fees or compensation, according to the commission. The commission said such seizure orders do not formally transfer ownership but deprive Palestinian owners of possession and use of their land, placing it under direct Israeli military control. It said the latest measure reflects an expansion of military infrastructure used to protect Israeli settlements and secure their surroundings. In July, Israel issued 31 seizure orders targeting about 831 dunams (205 acres) of Palestinian land across the occupied West Bank, including nearly 115 dunams (28 acres) in the Ramallah and Al-Bireh governorate, according to the commission.