Regavim Movement filed an administrative petition with the Jerusalem District Court on Sunday against Defense Minister Israel Katz, Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich, the IDF Central Command chief, and the deputy head of the Civil Administration, demanding that the authorities immediately fulfill their legal obligations and enforce the law against two illegal permanent structures built on declared state land in Area C, adjacent to the Bar Kochba community in the Gush Etzion Regional Council.
“This is a blatant criminal encroachment built in the heart of the area designated for the community’s expansion. It effectively blocks the planned access road and poses a tangible security threat to motorists and the entire surrounding area.”
AFSI Insight
This story is another troubling example of the Palestinian Authority’s quiet, systematic campaign to seize control of Area C through illegal construction and facts on the ground. In the heart of Gush Etzion, illegal structures are being used to block access to the strategically important Bar Kochba community—while the Israeli government, despite recognizing the community’s national and security importance, fails to enforce its own laws.
AFSI believes there can be no Israeli strategy for Judea and Samaria without decisive enforcement on the ground. If Israel allows the PA to determine where Israelis can build, travel, and establish communities, it is effectively surrendering sovereignty one piece of land at a time. The government must act immediately to remove the illegal structures, restore access, and make clear that Judea and Samaria will not be lost through bureaucratic inaction.