In a significant policy shift, Israel's security cabinet has approved new measures to expand its control over the occupied West Bank, a move that has drawn widespread condemnation from Palestinian authorities and international observers. According to Al Jazeera, these changes will "make it easier for Israeli settlers to buy land" and grant Israel more powers to enforce its laws in the region, effectively deepening the de facto annexation of Palestinian territories. The Tribune Latest reports that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced the removal of long-standing regulations that barred Jewish citizens from purchasing land in the West Bank, with Smotrich stating the goal was to "bury the idea of a Palestinian state." This decision has been described by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as a "dangerous" attempt to legalize settlement expansion (The Hindu).