RAMALLAH, August 31, 2026 (WAFA) – The Israeli occupation authorities have issued a new declaration designating 370.28 dunams of land in Jerusalem’s Abu Dis and Arab al-Sawahra as "state land," as per Declaration No. (הכ/05/26), dated August 27, 2026, according to the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC).
The declaration targets Plots 3 and 6 in Abu Dis and Plot 5 in Arab al-Sawahra, pursuant to Military Order No. 59 of 1967 concerning State Property, placing the land at the disposal of the so-called “Custodian of Government Property.”
The move came as part of steps aimed at establishing the "Mishmar Yehuda" colony. In December 2025, the occupation authorities published a so-called “Blue Line Team declaration” covering approximately 3,380 dunams for the project. With the newly designated area, the total land being allocated for the colony would reach around 3,750 dunams.
The announcement coincided with preparations for the colony's first master plan, which includes approximately 3,600 colonial units, paving the way for its transformation into a large colony, east of Jerusalem.
In February 2023, the occupation government approved the establishment of "Mishmar Yehuda". A year later, the commander of the occupation forces’ Central Command Yehuda Fox signed an order defining its jurisdictional boundaries.
According to the CWRC, this sequence reveals an integrated government policy that begins with recognizing the outpost and defining its area of jurisdiction, followed by consolidating and reclassifying land, and eventually planning thousands of housing units and linking them to infrastructure.
Such measures further entrench the colonial belt east of Jerusalem, separating the city from its Palestinian surroundings and restricting the geographical space available to Abu Dis, al-Eizariya, al-Sawahra and Bedouin communities in and around Wadi Abu Hindi.
CWRC noted that the designation of 370.28 dunams as "state land" poses an existential threat to the al-Muntar Bedouin community, home to 112 Palestinian families, turning the land on which the community's homes, school, grazing areas and movement routes are located into "state property" that can be allocated for colonial projects.
It warned that this could lead to tighter restrictions on construction, grazing and access to land, as well as an expansion of demolition and forced displacement orders.
The CWRC stressed that designating the land as "state property" does not grant Israel, the occupying State, sovereign rights over it or alter its status as occupied Palestinian territory.
It recalled that under the law governing occupation, the occupying power's role is restricted to acting as a temporary administrator of public property, while the establishment and expansion of colonies constitute a violation of international law.
The CWRC alerted rights holders that they may file objections within 45 days from the date of publication of the declaration, urging them to gather ownership documents and maps and immediately approach the relevant authorities.
A.D./ K.F.
