Israel allocates $37 million to seize control of over 70 West Bank heritage sites

On August 4, 2026, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced a 113 million shekel ($37 million) allocation to develop over 70 heritage sites in the occupied West Bank. The funding, approved by a government steering committee, builds on an $83 million plan from May 2026 to claim archaeological sites. Critics and Palestinian officials warn the initiative aims to expand Israeli control over Palestinian land, while Smotrich described the move as a 'Zionist act of the highest order.'

West Bank heritage site funding

• ▪On August 4, 2026, an Israeli government steering committee allocated 157 million shekels ($52 million) in direct funding and 142 million shekels ($47 million) in commitment authorizations to the Settlements Ministry.
• ▪On August 4, 2026, the Knesset's Finance Committee separately approved nearly 300 million shekels ($99 million) in direct funding and commitments for the Israeli Settlements Ministry.
• ▪The $37 million allocation approved on August 4, 2026, builds on an $83 million (250 million shekels) plan approved in May 2026 to promote the takeover of archaeological sites in the West Bank.
• ▪Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on August 4, 2026, the allocation of 113 million shekels ($37 million) to develop more than 70 heritage sites in the West Bank.

Settlement expansion approvals

• ▪Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that 104 settlements and 160 outposts have been approved in the West Bank since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government took office in late 2022.
• ▪In late July 2026, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced plans to build 763 new settlement units in the Eli settlement near Nablus.
• ▪Palestinian figures estimate that approximately 750,000 Israeli settlers live in 156 settlements and 360 outposts in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Archaeological site seizures

• ▪Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich did not identify the specific locations of the 70 heritage sites targeted by the August 4, 2026, funding allocation.
• ▪In July 2026, Israel announced plans to fund the development of the Herod's Pool archaeological site near Fasayel, where settlers had established a tourist site on private Palestinian land.
• ▪Palestinian media reported that the Israeli funding initiative may target Solomon's Pools near Bethlehem, a historic site that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has previously sought to control.

Palestinian land control

• ▪In May 2026, the Knesset approved the first reading of a bill to establish the Judea and Samaria Heritage Authority, placing Roman, Byzantine, and Crusader-era sites under Israel's Heritage Ministry.
• ▪The Judea and Samaria Heritage Authority bill allows for the confiscation and purchase of real estate related to archaeological sites, which the Palestinian Authority warns will expand Israeli control.
• ▪Palestinian media reported that there have been more than 11,000 Israeli settler and military attacks across the West Bank in 2026.

International law violations

• ▪In a July 2024 advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all West Bank and East Jerusalem settlements.
• ▪UN Security Council Resolution 2334, adopted in 2016, states that Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 have no legal validity and violate international law.