Israel's security cabinet has approved new measures to expand Israeli control over the occupied West Bank, according to local media reports. The decision grants Israeli settlers greater ability to purchase land and empowers officials to enforce laws more broadly on Palestinians in the territory. These moves come as tensions escalate ahead of Prime Minister Netanyahu's upcoming meeting with President Trump.

The Palestinian presidency condemned the decision as a dangerous attempt to legalize settlement expansion and land confiscation. President Abbas's office called for immediate intervention from the United States and United Nations Security Council. Jordan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also criticized the measures as imposing illegal Israeli sovereignty and entrenching settlements.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right figure in Netanyahu's coalition, stated that these actions will continue to bury the idea of a Palestinian state. The new rules remove restrictions on private Jewish individuals buying land in the West Bank and allow Israeli authorities to manage certain religious sites. They also increase Israeli supervision in areas currently governed by the Palestinian Authority.

Palestinian Vice President Hussein Al-Sheikh described the measures as a total violation of signed agreements and international law. He warned that these unilateral actions aim to eliminate prospects for a two-state solution and risk destabilizing the entire region. The developments come just days before Netanyahu's scheduled meeting with Trump in Washington, DC.

Quick Fact: The West Bank is among areas Palestinians seek for a future independent state, along with Gaza and occupied East Jerusalem.