RAMALLAH, August 30, 2026 (WAFA) — Israeli occupation authorities have issued a new military order, No. T/101/26, ordering the seizure of 37.481 dunams of land belonging to the city of Beitunia in the Ramallah province, purportedly to expand an existing military site adjacent to the colonial Israeli settlement of Beit Horon.

Military maps show that the targeted area forms a contiguous tract connected to the existing military site and lies near Beit Horon settlement and Route 443.

According to the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, the red polygon marked on the military maps represents the officially seized area of 37.481 dunams designated for expansion of the military site. The order does not include any additional area designated for access restrictions or a separate military route.

Under the military order, the so-called officer for the affairs of the Israeli Defense Ministry is granted full possession of the land for the duration of the order, which is set at 60 days from the date it was signed.

The commission stressed that while land seizure orders do not formally transfer ownership, they deprive Palestinian landowners of their rights to possess and use their land and place it under direct military control.

It said the order reflects an expansion of the military infrastructure linked to protecting Israeli settlements and securing their surroundings, while imposing the territorial and security costs of the continued expansion of Israel’s settlement project on Palestinian land.

M.N