RAMALLAH, September 15, 2026 (WAFA) – The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission explained that the notices distributed by Israeli occupation authorities—labeled "Declaration of an Archaeological Site and Designation of Its Boundaries"—do not constitute direct land seizure orders in themselves; however, they impose strict restrictions on land use and could effectively lead to the imposition of functional control over the land.
The Commission indicated that these notices are issued pursuant to Article 9(b) of the Antiquities Law No. 51 of 1966 and aim to define the boundaries of areas the occupation designates as archaeological sites. At the same time, it emphasized that the fact that these are not direct seizure orders does not diminish their gravity or their practical impact on landowners.
It explained that designating land as part of an archaeological site subjects its use to the approval of the archaeology officer affiliated with the occupation's so-called "Civil Administration." Furthermore, such designation provides grounds for issuing stop-work orders, demolition orders, and prohibitions on land use.
The Commission added that, in recent times, occupation authorities have distributed a large number of these notices across the Qalqilya, Tulkarm, and Jenin governorates. This expands the scope of land subject to Israeli administrative and planning control under the pretext of protecting archaeological sites.
It affirmed that the most accurate description of these measures is that they are archaeological declarations imposing strict restrictions on land use and potentially resulting in de facto functional control; however, they do not mean that the lands included in the maps have been automatically confiscated. These measures come in the context of the occupation authorities’ continued imposition of various regulations and procedures on Palestinian lands, which restrict the owners' ability to utilize or build upon them and reinforce administrative and planning control over vast areas of the West Bank.
K.T
