New Palestinian Ministerial Committee Targets Israeli Expansion in West Bank’s Area C
In an effort to confront Israeli settlement expansion, the Palestinian government has formed a ministerial committee focusing on the development of Area C in the West Bank. The announcement followed a cabinet meeting in Ramallah on Monday. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said the new committee aims to “impose our sovereignty over the area and improve urban life” for Palestinian residents.
Area C covers approximately 3,456 square kilometers, making up about 60% of the West Bank’s total land area. Shtayyeh said that the incumbent Israeli government had sought to annex Area C, which he referred to as “an integral part of the entire territory of the State of Palestine.”
Under the 1993 Oslo Accords, the West Bank is divided into three zones: Area A under full Palestinian Authority (PA) control, Area B under joint Israeli-Palestinian security control but administrative control by the PA, and Area C under full Israeli control. Israel’s expansion into the West Bank, particularly into Area C, has been a point of international contention since the 1967 war and was a significant factor in the breakdown of US-sponsored peace talks in March 2014.
