The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission has revealed that Israeli authorities have issued 49 military orders since the beginning of 2026 under the designation of "Security Measures Orders," targeting a total of 2,093 dunums of Palestinian-owned land. The commission said the orders reflect a significant escalation compared with the previous year and form part of a broader policy aimed at expanding control over areas surrounding Israeli settlements and settlement roads.
In a policy paper released on Saturday, the commission explained that while these orders do not formally transfer ownership of the land from its Palestinian owners, they impose extensive restrictions on its use. The measures include uprooting or pruning trees, prohibiting replanting, and restricting landowners' access to their property, effectively preventing them from using or benefiting from their land while leaving legal ownership unchanged.
Significant Increase Compared with 2025
According to the commission, the number of military orders issued during the first half of 2026 has already exceeded the total issued throughout 2025, when Israeli authorities released 47 orders affecting 1,613 dunums of land.
The total area targeted this year has increased by approximately 480 dunums, representing a rise of nearly 30 percent.
The commission said the figures indicate that these orders have evolved from occasional security measures into a systematic tool for removing Palestinian tree cover, expanding security zones around settlements and military roads, and imposing additional restrictions on Palestinians' use of their land.
Land Adjacent to Settlements and Settlement Roads Targeted
The report found that most of the military orders were concentrated along roads used by Israeli settlers and in areas surrounding settlements, the separation barrier, military checkpoints, and other military installations.
The affected areas include land bordering several major settlement roads, including Routes 35, 60, 354, 356, and 449, as well as areas adjacent to the settlements of Ariel, Modi'in Illit, Mevo Horon, and Eli.
According to the commission, the geographic distribution of the orders indicates that tree removal is being used not as a temporary security measure, but as part of a broader strategy to protect and expand settlement infrastructure while increasing Israeli control over surrounding areas.
Large-Scale Orders Affect Multiple Governorates
The commission identified Military Order 63/26 as the largest issued during the reporting period. It targeted 164.624 dunums of land in the towns of Marda, Iskaka, and Salfit to remove trees surrounding the settlement of Ariel.
Other major orders included 139.152 dunums in the town of Ramin, 121.6 dunums in the villages of Safa and Beit Sira west of Ramallah, 117 dunums in Safa, 106.507 dunums in Azzun and Kafr Thulth, and 95.692 dunums in Beita and Huwwara.
The commission noted that the repeated issuance of military orders in neighboring areas, particularly west of Ramallah and across Hebron Governorate, reflects a sustained policy of creating extensive zones where Palestinian land use is heavily restricted, facilitating further settlement expansion.
Restrictions Extend Beyond Tree Removal
The commission stressed that the impact of these military orders extends beyond the uprooting of trees. They also restrict landowners' access to their property, create undeclared security zones, and limit agricultural and grazing activities, effectively expanding Israeli control over areas far larger than those formally identified in the military orders.
It added that Israeli authorities combine these measures with other legal and administrative tools, including declarations of so-called "state land" and military seizure orders, to reinforce long-term control over Palestinian land while preventing its owners from making practical use of it.
Commission Says Policy Supports Settlement Expansion
The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission emphasized that the targeting of Palestinian trees carries significance beyond environmental or economic considerations, noting that trees—particularly centuries-old olive trees—represent a tangible connection between Palestinians and their land and serve as evidence of its continued cultivation.
The commission concluded that the increasing reliance on "Security Measures Orders" demonstrates their growing use as a flexible mechanism for imposing changes on the ground without formally confiscating land. It said the policy contributes to expanding settlements, strengthening settlement infrastructure, and imposing additional restrictions on the Palestinian presence in affected areas.
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