The Civil Administration Announces Allocation of 16,121 dunams for Grazing

The Civil Administration has published for the first time six notices on the intention to allocate lands for shepherding totaling 16,121 dunams (3,990 acres) throughout the West Bank.

In December 2024, the High Court of Justice accepted Peace Now’s petition and ruled that the state would now be obliged to publish in advance any intention to allocate land outside settlement areas, even in cases where it concerns the renewal of old allocations. It seems that the reason for the publication on the Civil Administration website for the first time stems from Peace Now’s victory in the High Court.

The publication of the intention to allocate the areas for grazing does not indicate who the allocation is intended for and whether it is a renewal of an old allocation or a new one. The notice states that anyone wishing to object to the allocation may do so within 30 days. Some of the allocations are within firing zones, within a nature reserve, in areas where settler shepherds who expelled Palestinians from the area operate, and in some cases the allocation for grazing also includes areas and homes of Palestinian communities.

In recent years, dozens of illegal farms have been established in the West Bank, through which settlers are taking over vast areas and expelling Palestinians from them. In a statement submitted by the state to the High Court of Justice in response to Peace Now’s petition, it was stated that the Settlement Division, which got the authority of management of vast areas in the West Bank, allocated approximately 80,000 dunams to settlers for grazing purposes. The announcements this time are of allocations by the Commissioner of Government Property in the West Bank which is a body within the Civil Administration. This is the first time we find evidence that the Civil Administration (which is currently under full control of Minister Smotrich) is allocating land to settlers for grazing, and not the Settlement Division.

It should be noted that an allocation for grazing does not constitute approval to establish an agricultural farm. In order to erect structures on the land, building permits are required according to valid plans, but the shepherding outposts in the West Bank do not have such permits.

Since 1967 until today, the state, through the Commissioner of Government Property in the Civil Administration and the Settlement Division, has allocated over 680,000 dunams of public land and transferred them to various bodies, without any tender process, without publication and without giving the public an opportunity to submit objections to it. 99.76% of the land allocated by the Israeli authorities in the territories was allocated to Israelis only, while Palestinians were allocated almost nothing.

The lands allocated for grazing

Allocation of lands within military firing zones – Three of the allocations are for lands that are within firing zones, in whole or in part: an allocation near Beit Aryeh, an allocation near the settlement of Hemdat in the northern Jordan Valley, and an allocation near the settlement of Yitav north of Jericho.

It should be recalled that on the same day that the announcements were published, the Civil Administration carried out massive demolitions in Masafar Yatta, after the state argued to the High Court that it was a firing zone and that civilians were prohibited from staying there.

Allocation of lands within a nature reserve – The allocation in the northern Jordan Valley near the Goshen South farm outpost and the Hemdat settlement is entirely within the lands of the Umm Zuqa Nature Reserve. It should be noted that grazing is prohibited in nature reserves without permission from the Nature and Parks Authority.

Allocation of lands near Palestinian homes in hotspots of settler violence – The allocation of lands near the Yitav settlement north of Jericho, comes very close to the homes of the Palestinian village of Ras Ein al-‘Uja. At least 9 Palestinian homes are included in the allocation area and 9 more are surrounded on all sides by the area allocated to settlers. Another Palestinian community in the northern Jordan Valley, the Umm al-‘Obor community, consisting of 7 families, is also included in the grazing allocation for settlers. It should be noted that the village of Ras Ein al-‘Uja has suffered in the past two years from ongoing violence from settlers from nearby shepherding farms (mainly from the Yitav North farm and the Al-Baladim outpost) who come with their herds to the village houses and harass the residents.

Map of the grazing allocation near the Palestinian village of Ras Ein al-‘Uja

Houses from the village of Ras Ein al-‘Uja that were included in the grazing allocation or are surrounded by it.

Map of the grazing allocation near the Hemdat settlement and Goshen North farm in the northern Jordan Valley. The houses of the Palestinian community of Umm al-Obor are included in it.

Allocation of lands near Palestinian communities that were violently expelled from their homes – one of the allocations is in areas where settlers from the New Micah farm operate. Since the farm was established in 2020, settlers have begun attacking and harassing nearby Palestinian communities. In July 2022, the nearby community of Ras a-Tin was expelled, becoming the first community to be expelled by violent settlers. In May 2023, the nearby community of Ein Samiya was also expelled, and in October 2023, the small community of Khirbet Marjama was also expelled. Furthermore, the allocation is not a continuous area but enclaves of land in the heart of private Palestinian lands. To reach the allocated grazing areas, shepherds have to pass through private lands.

Grazing allocation near the new Micah farm. Three nearby Palestinian communities were expelled following settler violence.

Allocation of lands where illegal farm outposts were established – two allocations also include lands on which some of the illegal structures of the new Micah farm and the Ma’ale Ahuviya outpost were established.

List of allocations: