Israel Moves Toward De Facto Annexation of the West Bank, Rights Groups Warn

In its ongoing push for the annexation of the occupied West Bank, the Israeli regime has taken another concrete step—approving the expansion of a key road network designed to divert Palestinians from the area between the illegal settlement of Ma’ale Adumim and occupied Jerusalem, while granting exclusive access to Israeli settlers. The plan aims to forcibly expel Bedouin Palestinians from the area by isolating them in a zone with no viable means of survival.

Israeli journalist Tani Goldstein, writing for Zman Israel, confirmed that the occupation government approved a new section of the so-called “Fabric of Life” road—a segregated route designated for Palestinians that will run between al-Eizariya and az-Za’im, east of Jerusalem. The road is intended to cut off Palestinian access to Highway 1, which links Jerusalem with Ma’ale Adumim.

The regime has allocated 335 million shekels (approx. $90 million) to this project, funded from Palestinian tax revenues previously collected in Gaza on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.

Apartheid Infrastructure in Action

The official aim, according to Israeli officials, is to isolate the area for settler use only, preventing Palestinians from traveling by car through this critical corridor. Access to this area, including the strategic Khan al-Ahmar Bedouin village, will only be available on foot, effectively cutting it off from any future contiguous Palestinian state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz have explicitly stated that the project aims to connect Jerusalem with Ma’ale Adumim and the E1 settlement zone, where 3,500 new settler units are planned. This area is home to hundreds of Bedouins, including the Jahalin tribe and over 200 residents of Khan al-Ahmar.

Though the project has been delayed in the past due to international pressure, the current far-right Israeli government is eager to revive and implement it—with the clear intent of expelling the Palestinian population.

“They’ve decided to forcibly remove the Bedouin, even though they have nowhere else to go,”

Goldstein reported.

“Despite having issued over 20 demolition orders for Khan al-Ahmar, the people refuse to leave.”

Systematic Harassment and Displacement

Bedouin residents shared testimonies with the reporter, describing daily harassment by extremist settler youth (“Hilltop Youth”), as well as neglect and complicity from Israeli police and military forces.

“They beat our people. We call the police. They do nothing,” said one resident.

“The army won’t even let us build shacks or host weddings or funerals. They say this is a ‘natural reserve’ and ban all construction.”

These policies have intensified since the formation of Netanyahu’s current government and the war on Gaza, forcing some Palestinian families to sleep in animal pens after being denied shelter.

The new road plan will supposedly allow Palestinians to travel between Bethlehem and Jericho via an underground tunnel, bypassing Israeli roads entirely. But residents and experts alike see it as a smokescreen for deeper segregation.

A Reality of Isolation and Poverty

Dr. Dan Turner, a Ma’ale Adumim resident and activist with “Friends of the Jahalin,” warned that the new infrastructure will create “an impossible reality” for the Bedouins.

“They’ll be cut off from their schools, clinics, and shops in Abu Dis,” he said.

“They’re banned from buying in settler areas. Their poverty and isolation will worsen.”

He added that while it currently takes 20 minutes to travel from Abu Dis to Jericho, the new route will triple travel time for Palestinians, while settlers continue using direct highways.

“This is apartheid,” Turner said.

“Settlers have highways. Palestinians get detours.”

Stealing Palestinian Resources to Fund Colonisation

Beyond segregation, critics highlighted that the road is being funded with Palestinian tax money—further inflaming anger over Israel’s exploitation of occupied peoples.

Settlement leaders have openly celebrated the move. Shay Alon, head of Beit El settlement, said it was “a practical step toward imposing Israeli sovereignty over the entire West Bank.”

Guy Yifrach, head of Ma’ale Adumim, claimed the plan would improve settler safety and reduce traffic congestion, while also “granting Palestinians passage underground—away from Israeli roads.”

Rights Groups Sound the Alarm: “De Facto Annexation”

Human rights groups responded with outrage. Peace Now warned that the project would establish a dual road system—one for settlers, one for Palestinians—entrenching a de facto annexation of 3% of the West Bank and blocking any future two-state solution.

“This isn’t about improving Palestinian mobility. It’s about annexation,” the group said.

“The Bedouin communities will be isolated, cut off from the rest of the West Bank—and effectively expelled.”