In a recent announcement, Israeli authorities disclosed the largest single land seizure in over 30 years, exacerbating the ongoing land grab in the occupied West Bank. This seizure, which encompasses 12.7 sq km (4.9 sq miles) in the Jordan Valley, is part of a series of land grabs conducted by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who oversees settlement planning.

According to Peace Now, an Israeli anti-settlement watchdog, Israel has illegally seized more than 50 sq km (19.3 sq miles) of Palestinian land since 1998. This shocking figure surpasses the amount of land taken over the past two decades combined, exemplifying the alarming pace at which Palestinian territories are being usurped.

The roots of this land dispute can be traced back to the end of the Ottoman rule in the Levant. At that time, Jewish ownership of Palestine's land stood at just 3 percent. However, following the Balfour Declaration in 1917, which promised a national homeland for Jewish people in Palestine, the Jewish population in the region surged to 33 percent by 1947.

The declaration of an independent Israeli state in 1948 triggered the first Arab-Israeli war, resulting in the expulsion of approximately 750,000 Palestinians and the capture of 78 percent of their land. The remaining territory was divided into the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with the former being 15 times larger than the latter.

Israel further solidified its control through the enactment of the Absentee Property Law in 1950, allowing confiscation of Palestinian properties whose owners were forced to leave in 1948. During the June 1967 war, Israel occupied the entirety of historical Palestine, including Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.

In violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, Israeli settlements were established in the occupied territories shortly after the war. These settlements are considered illegal under international law and pose a significant obstacle to a comprehensive peace agreement under a two-state solution.

The disputed status of East Jerusalem, claimed by Israel through the Jerusalem Law in 1980, has had profound implications for Palestinians. The United Nations Security Council declared the Jerusalem Law null and void through Resolution 478, leading to the withdrawal of diplomatic missions from the city. Palestinians have faced displacement, loss of property, and restricted residency rights and movement as a result.

Israel's actions have been met with condemnation from human rights organizations. The construction of a 700 km (435 miles) wall through the West Bank, largely built on occupied territory, further fragments Palestinian communities and separates families. Around 700,000 settlers currently reside in approximately 300 illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. These settlements occupy about 35 percent of the land in East Jerusalem and about 10 percent of the West Bank.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, himself a settler, has pledged to establish a million new settlers in the West Bank in retaliation for countries recognizing the state of Palestine. This aggressive settlement expansion exacerbates the diminishing prospects for Palestinian self-determination.

The continued land seizures and settlement expansions underscore the urgent need for a just and lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As Palestinians see their prospects for self-determination diminish, the international community must take collective action to ensure the rights and sovereignty of both Israelis and Palestinians are protected.