In early November, several Israeli “settlers” moved into eight buildings near the city of Jericho. They belong to the Nachala settlement movement and stated that they had legally acquired the properties. The Palestinian Authority (PA) responded by arresting Palestinians, accusing the suspects of having been involved in the transfer of the properties to Israelis.
The case is politically sensitive: under Palestinian law, the sale of land to Jews is prohibited and can be considered treason. At the same time, there is dispute over who actually owns the properties and under what circumstances the purchase agreements came about.
Arrests over alleged brokering
The spokesperson for the Palestinian security forces, Anwar Rajab, confirmed the arrests on Palestinian radio. The suspects are alleged to have been involved in the transfer of properties in the Ad-Duyuk area near Jericho. According to the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, those involved are real estate agents who are said to have been responsible for brokering the sales. They were initially taken into pre-trial detention for 15 days.
A report by the news portal Sawti describes how the brokers are alleged to have operated: according to the account, they specifically approached Palestinian property owners whose buildings were under threat of demolition due to missing building permits. The owners reportedly believed they were selling to a Palestinian buyer who could help them challenge the demolition orders in Israeli courts. It only became apparent later that the properties were to be transferred to Israelis.
This account forms part of the reporting to date. The exact circumstances of the sales are the subject of ongoing investigations.
The eight houses are located in Ad-Duyuk al-Tahta, an area on the outskirts of Jericho. While the city itself lies in Area A and is fully under the control of the Palestinian Authority, the location of the houses falls within Area C. Under the Oslo Accords, this area is subject to Israeli civil and security control.
Dispute over ownership and jurisdiction
The Nachala settler movement stated that the houses were purchased lawfully. According to those involved, the Binyamin Regional Council also participated in the operation. Israeli authorities maintain that the buildings stand on state land. At the same time, it remains unclear how a sale by Palestinian owners could have been legally concluded if the land is in fact state property.
The Palestinian land authority also disputed reports of valid purchase agreements, stating that no official approvals had been granted for the relevant property transactions. It described the events as part of Israeli efforts to bring additional areas under control. According to the authority, one of the affected plots belongs to the state, while the other is attributed to historic private owners.
The case thus raises several questions: Who actually owned the properties? What documents were used in the sales? And which authority is responsible for the investigations if the properties are located in Area C, while the alleged brokers fall under Palestinian jurisdiction? Above all: how can it be that the sale of land to Jews is prohibited in the first place?
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