Al-Azhar Observatory (Photo: Al-Ahram)
In a statement, the observatory said Israeli occupation authorities had announced the resumption of procedures to register and settle land ownership in wide areas of the occupied West Bank and to reclassify them as “state property” — a step it described as the first of its kind since 1967.
The observatory explained that the administrative measure seeks to entrench Israeli control over vast swathes of Palestinian land, paving the way for the expansion of settlements and the legalisation of both pastoral and residential outposts under the guise of “land registration.”
It added that Egypt immediately condemned the decision in the strongest terms, calling it a “dangerous escalation” aimed at consolidating the occupation and undermining the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
In an official statement, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the measure as a blatant violation of international law and runs entirely counter to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which affirmed the illegality of altering the legal status of occupied territories.
The observatory warned of the catastrophic repercussions of the decision on regional peace and security, stressing that the “legalisation” of land appropriation through land registries constitutes a full-fledged war crime aimed at the silent forced displacement of Palestinians.
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