Israeli regime begins annexing more land in occupied al-Quds
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The Israeli occupation began annexing more land in occupied al-Quds, seizing plots in Anata and tightening control over Beit Iksa, Nabi Samwil, and al-Khalayleh.
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A Palestinian runs in front of an armored vehicle during clashes with Israeli forces following a military raid in the West Bank city of Nablus, Wednesday, August 27, 2025 (AP)
The Israeli occupation formally began annexing more Palestinian land in occupied al-Quds on Saturday, according to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent.
The Israeli regime's Al-Quds Governorate reported that occupation forces distributed special permits to residents of three areas northwest of the city, Beit Iksa, Nabi Samwil, and al-Khalayleh, as a prelude to placing them under its full control. Entry to these areas will now be treated as “entry into Israel.”
Authorities also handed confiscation orders to owners of large plots in the town of Anata, seizing land for the benefit of the Israeli municipality to build parking areas and expand roads leading to the Maale Adumim settlement.
Hamas warns of bid to isolate al-Quds
Haroun Nasser al-Din, head of al-Quds Affairs at Hamas, said the move, which restricts permit holders to travel only to a specific place and purpose, is a concrete step aimed at isolating the city and severing its links to Palestinian communities.
He stressed that the decision clearly shows the occupation treats these areas as Israeli land, describing it as a de facto annexation and a dangerous step toward consolidating apartheid policies and displacing the residents of al-Quds.
Nasser al-Din noted that the measure comes amid escalating daily violations in occupied al-Quds, including repeated incursions into al-Aqsa Mosque, home demolitions, youth arrests, and restrictions on Palestinians’ movement, all intended to empty the city of its native population and impose a new settlement reality.
He affirmed that Palestinians would not yield to these policies, holding the occupation fully responsible for their consequences, and called on the Arab and Islamic nations, along with international supporters, to act swiftly to stop annexation and forced displacement and to protect Palestinian rights and holy sites from further escalation.
'Israel' using Gaza war to seize more land
An opinion piece published in The New York Times on Thursday by Philip H. Gordon, former national security advisor to Kamala Harris, sounded the alarm over "Israel's" accelerating annexation of Palestinian land in the West Bank, a project that he argues would bury the prospect of Palestinian statehood and intensify "Israel's" pariah status worldwide.
While the world's gaze remains fixed on the devastating assault on Gaza, Gordon warns that the Israeli government is exploiting the chaos to push forward a colonial agenda in the West Bank.
He stresses that extreme-right figures in Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, emboldened by US indifference, are seizing the moment to entrench permanent control over territory that belongs to Palestinians.
For decades, Palestinians have seen their land steadily carved away by settlements. The settler population, Gordon notes, has ballooned to around 740,000 from just 10,000 in the 1970s, and over a hundred new outposts were established in the past year alone.
Settler violence shielded
The expansion is driven not only by bureaucracy but also by increasing settler violence. Palestinians endure systematic intimidation: destroyed crops, torched cars, water cutoffs, and killings. The UN has recorded over 1,000 cases this year alone, the highest since monitoring began in 2006. Gordon highlights the case of radical settler Yinon Levi, caught on video shooting activist Awdah Hathaleen. "Israel" delayed returning Hathaleen's body for more than a week, while Levi was quickly released by a court citing insufficient evidence.
Read more: IOF raid Oscar-winning director Basel Adra’s home
The US role looms large. Unlike past administrations, Trump's team has offered cover for "Israel's" annexation drive. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described annexation as "not a final thing," while Ambassador Mike Huckabee claimed the US "has never asked Israel not to apply sovereignty" in the West Bank.
Washington has also lifted sanctions on violent settler groups and barred Palestinian Authority leaders, including Mahmoud Abbas, from attending the UN General Assembly.
