Occupation expands archaeological notifications to impose control over West Bank lands

The Israeli occupation forces are expanding the use of archaeological notifications in the West Bank, based on the Antiquities Law, to impose restrictions on Palestinian lands without officially confiscating them, limiting owners' ability to build, reclaim, and utilize the land.

The Israeli occupation forces are expanding the use of so-called 'archaeological notifications' in the West Bank, based on Article 9(b) of the Antiquities Law No. 51 of 1966, to impose restrictions on Palestinian lands without officially confiscating them. The notifications bring large areas within the boundaries of sites classified as 'archaeological,' subjecting them to the approval of the antiquities officer of the occupation's Civil Administration, and limiting owners' ability to build, reclaim, and utilize the land. The occupation forces have expanded the use of these notifications in the governorates of Qalqilya, Tulkarm, and Jenin. According to observers, the notification is not an isolated measure but a gateway to a series of measures that tighten the noose on landowners. The article describes this policy as part of a broader system of legal and administrative tools to enhance control over Palestinian land, integrating with settlement and Judaization policies. Source: Palestine Online.