The number of new illegal Palestinian Arab building starts in Judea and Samaria is down sharply this year, according to a new report released by Regavim, which follows a period of increased enforcement efforts against unauthorized construction.
The study found that there was a significant decrease in the number of new illegal structures completed in 2024, with a monthly average of 260 buildings completed during the last survey period — down from 608 new completed buildings per month in 2023 and 547 in 2022, marking a drastic reduction compared to the previous five years.
“This is a refreshing shift in the battle for land,” said Regavim director Meir Deutsch. “While the State of Palestine is being established de facto through construction and infrastructure, the Israeli government is finally responding to voter mandates by addressing these developments. We hope to see this trend continue and even intensify.”
Israel also began razing Palestinian buildings built illegally inside a nature reserve on Thursday. Nearby residents hailed the move as “historic” saying the illegal Palestinian construction has been unchecked in the Judean Desert Nature Reserve in the Gush Etzion region.
“For years, the reserve has been systematically destroyed by illegal construction. This construction harms nature and creates a stranglehold around nearby Jewish communities,” Yaron Rosenthal, head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, told The Press Service of Israel. “Today, for the first time since the Oslo Accords, we are witnessing the enforcement of law in this regard. This is a crucial step towards restoring the desert and preserving the Judean Desert—a Jewish desert.”