The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is deeply concerned about the recent decision by the Israeli authorities to designate more areas of land in the occupied West Bank as so-called “State Land”.
The move reduces administrative barriers to land acquisition and accelerates the expansion of Israeli settlements.
“We cannot speak of peace while international law is ignored and previous agreements are systematically disregarded. This decision must be reversed immediately”ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle
“It moves us further away from a two-state solution and deepens the daily injustice faced by Palestinian workers and their communities. It also drives the peoples of Palestine and Israel further from a peaceful settlement based on common security.
“The ITUC stands in solidarity with Palestinian workers and their unions in their struggle for dignity, equality and justice.”
The unilateral decision violates international law, breaches agreements between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, and reinforces movement restrictions and blockades in the West Bank.
The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is recognised as occupied territory under international law. The ITUC recalls:
- The obligation to fully implement UN Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), which affirm the 1967 borders and call for an end to the occupation.
- Resolution 2334 (2016), which confirms that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory have no legal validity and constitute a major obstacle to peace.
- The 2024 ruling of the International Court of Justice, which reaffirmed the unlawfulness of Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory and the obligation to bring it to an end.
The current reclassification of land also undermines agreements in place since 1993, including the Oslo Accords and the Hebron Protocol of 1997, which established clear frameworks governing land administration and civilian authority. Unilateral actions that alter the status of land directly contravene these commitments and further exacerbate illegal settlement activity.
The consequences for Palestinian workers of this decision to resume land registration procedures in Area C of the occupied West Bank are severe. It will further dispossess Palestinians of their property and expand illegal Israeli control of land in the area. Moreover, it will directly affect livelihoods, employment opportunities, access to natural resources, and the ability of Palestinian communities to pursue sustainable development, increasing precarity and undermining the right to decent work.
Luc Triangle added: “The ITUC calls on all states to uphold their international legal obligations, including the duty not to recognise territorial or sovereignty claims made by Israel over the occupied territories, or to render financial, military or political support or assistance in maintaining the unlawful occupation.
“All countries must work to support the full implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions, to end the occupation, to dismantle illegal settlements and to implement the two-state solution.
“Only a negotiated two-state solution based on international law and relevant UN resolutions can guarantee security, dignity and rights for the people of Israel and Palestine.”
