UN’s Guterres slams Gov’t for allowing WB land registry

“The decision could lead to the dispossession of Palestinians of their property and risks expanding unlawful Israeli control over land in the area,” Guterres wrote in a statement on X.

“I call on Israel to reverse these measures and on all to preserve the only path to lasting peace, a negotiated two-State solution in line with international law,” he added.

Guterres has been critical of Israel in the last week, with a previous post from February 9 condemning similar measures in the West Bank and claiming “all Israeli settlements in the West Bank are in violation of international law.”

The government approved the land registration on Sunday, marking the first time since 1967 that Israelis have been able to do so.

The move, announced by Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday, comes less than a week after Katz and Smotrich stated that several new policies would go into effect to streamline the acquisition of property by Jewish Israelis in areas A and B.

Despite heavy criticism worldwide, including from the Trump administration, these new moves, which fall short of full annexation, seem to indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is confident they will not be blocked by the US president.

Yonnah Jeremy Bob and The Jerusalem Post staff contributed to this report.