About a month ago, a silent transfer occurred.
The Israeli military's Civil Administration handed more control over the occupied West Bank to the Settlements Administration, headed by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also lives in an illegal settlement.
Now Smotrich and his Settlement Administration control more things, such as building regulations and the management of farmland, parks and forests.
Since taking office, Smotrich has openly pushed for more Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank – illegal under international law – as steps toward annexation.
So what does it all mean?
What is Settlement Administration?
It was created in February 2023, after many political disputes between Smotrich (who is also Minister of the Ministry of Defense) and Yoav Gallant, the Minister of Defense.
There were many details, but the result is that the responsibility for controlling illegal construction in the occupied West Bank fell to Smotrich.
Meaning that construction of illegal settlements or outposts would be ignored and eventually approved, while Palestinian construction would be subject to intense scrutiny over permits and often demolished.
How did Smotrich achieve that?
Smotrich and his far-right colleague Itamar Ben-Gvir lead a coalition of far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties that have propped up Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
Using that far-right clout, Smotrich essentially negotiated to take control of Israeli expansion into occupied lands.
So what changed this May 29?
The handover of the army on May 29 means that the Settlement Administration will now enforce pages of statutes, further facilitating the expansion of illegal settlements.
Did Israel already control the occupied West Bank?
Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, as well as Gaza and East Jerusalem, the longest military occupation in modern history.
But even the occupation has rules.
Under international law, the occupying power cannot transfer its citizens to occupied lands. The Supreme Court of Israel confirmed it in 2005.
That did not stop the Israelis from building illegal settlements on stolen land. And it did not stop Israeli settlers – sometimes supported by security forces – from attacking Palestinians to force them from even more land.
How many Palestinians live in the West Bank?
According to the United States government, three million people.
In many cases, families have lived in the same house or farm for centuries.
Traditional agriculture is a source of pride and identity, with generations dedicating themselves to the care of ancestral olive and fruit groves. Some Palestinian tribes are pastoralists and traditionally roam their lands so their flocks can graze.
But settler attacks have focused on farmers and herders, who tend to live in small, peaceful communities that make it easier for armed settlers with police as backup.
This pushed many Palestinians to move to cities and do unskilled jobs such as construction.
What is going to happen to them now?
Life is likely to become even more difficult.
In addition to the widespread arrest campaigns that are intensifying in the occupied West Bank since Israel launched its brutal war on Gaza on October 7, the number of settler attacks to scare families away from their lands has also skyrocketed.
More than 500 Palestinians have been killed in attacks in the occupied West Bank.
Restrictions on movement have increased as Israel increased fixed and mobile checkpoints and settlers began setting up their own random roadblocks.
This means that it is much more difficult for Palestinians to get to work or keep their businesses running. Or see family or go on a picnic. Anything really.
Add to that the increased leniency of the Smotrich administration, which is likely to see an expansion of illegal settlements and a crackdown on any Palestinian construction, and the picture is bleak.
It is this? Annexation?
Annexing the occupied West Bank to Israel is certainly a dream for Smotrich and his close political ally, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
They consider that assuming management of the occupation – essentially requisitioning the Civil Administration – is an important step towards that ambition.
