Ramallah, Aug. 27 (Petra) -- Israeli occupation authorities have seized about 15 dunums of land in Al-Bireh under Military Order No. 115/25/T to establish a 3,835-meter-long so-called "security route" around the Psagot settlement east of the city, the Colonization & Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC) said Thursday.

The commission said the route would encircle the settlement, which is built on land in Al-Tawil Mountain, creating a new buffer zone around it.

According to its statement, the CWRC said the order targets land in plots within regulated basins Nos. 17, 20, 21 and 22 in Al-Bireh. It transfers effective possession of the land to the "military commander" through the officer responsible for affairs at Israel’s Defense Ministry.

Issued June 18, 2025, the order will remain in effect until Dec. 31, 2027. Landowners have seven days to file objections, starting from the date of the field inspection designated for them, the commission said.

Maps show the route does not target an isolated parcel but instead forms an almost complete ring around the Psagot settlement, the commission said.

On its effects, a preliminary map measurement indicates that the military order would prevent Palestinians from accessing more than 380 dunums of land between the settlement’s existing structures and the route designated in the order.

The commission noted that the 380 dunums are excluded in the official seizure figure. However, it said implementing the route would isolate the land, restrict owners’ access and effectively place it under the settlement’s security control.

The CWRC said the order is part of an escalating policy adopted by Israeli authorities since Oct. 7, 2023. During that period, authorities have issued 46 military orders to establish buffer zones around settlements.

The orders show the buffer zones are becoming a "regular tool" for expanding settlement control and taking Palestinian land, without requiring immediate construction plans or formally changing land ownership, the commission pointed out.

//Petra// NQ