Israel announces confiscation of eight thousand dunums of land in the Jordan Valley

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Friday the seizure of an additional eight thousand dunums (800 hectares) of land in the Jordan Valley, describing it as "a significant and important step for settlement" in the area located on the eastern slopes of the occupied West Bank.

The minister, who also oversees the Civil Administration for Palestinians in the West Bank within the Ministry of Defense, said, "This is another significant and important step for settlement in the Jordan Valley and Judea and Samaria," the name Israel uses for the West Bank. Israeli peace activists have confirmed that this seizure is the largest in decades.

AFP