Since the start of 2026, Israeli authorities have issued 49 military orders to seize 2,093 dunams (517 acres) of Palestinian land, measures Palestinian officials say are being used to expand Israeli control around settlements under the guise of security needs.
The number of orders issued in the first half of 2026 has already exceeded the total recorded for all of 2025, according to a position paper released on Saturday by the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission and cited by the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
According to the commission, the orders are issued on the grounds of military and security requirements in areas near Israeli settlements, bypass roads, the separation wall, checkpoints and military sites.
It argued, however, that their geographic distribution indicates they are intended to consolidate control around settler infrastructure and secure movement for Israeli settlers.
The orders do not formally transfer ownership from Palestinian landowners. Instead, they impose broad restrictions on land use by requiring the removal or pruning of trees and vegetation, restricting access and preventing replanting.
