Israel intends to set aside nearly 2,350 acres of land in the occupied West Bank for the livestock of illegal occupiers, according to the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission.
Two official notices dated November 1 outlined plans to issue temporary grazing permits covering 9,488 dunams, which translates to about 2,345 acres of property classified by Israel as state land.
The targeted properties are situated in Al-Zawiya, Rafat, and Deir Ballut in the Salfit governorate, alongside Arraba, Kafr Rai, and Ya’bad in the Jenin governorate.
The commission warned that using this state land designation for grazing permits could extend the reach of illegal settlements. The expansion threatens to consume open terrain situated directly between Palestinian villages.
Impacts from the directive are expected to stretch far beyond the immediate sites designated for animal shelters. Surrounding pastures and traditional routes used by local herders face disruption, placing economic pressure on Palestinian farmers and herding communities.
Official records from the commission indicate that Israeli authorities issued seven similar military orders over the past year. Those previous actions covered 16,733 dunams, representing approximately 4,135 acres of Palestinian land under the same state land classification.
Data compiled by the commission reveals a broader pattern of land appropriation. Investigators documented the establishment of 211 illegal settlement outposts across the occupied West Bank during the past three years. Most of these new outposts were set up for grazing purposes.
Official Palestinian figures estimate that approximately 750,000 Israeli occupiers currently reside across the territory. This population is distributed among 194 illegal settlements and 400 outposts located throughout the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
