MK Moti Yogev (Jewish Home) initiated a discussion in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on the Palestinian Authority takeover of Area C in Judea and Samaria.
According to the former chairman of the subcommittee on Judea and Samaria, this takeover represents a real political emergency: "The facts are being determined on the ground and if we reach the negotiating table, there will be nothing more to discuss."
A report released by Regavim reveals that over 28,000 new illegal structures have been established on Israeli-controlled territory in Judea and Samaria over the past decade, in accordance with the Fayyad plan for territorial contiguity in the area towards the establishment of a future Palestinian state.
In 2009, the number of illegal structures in Area C stood at 29,784, while in 2008 it was 58,435, but the more worrisome figure was the amount of the built-up area in dunams, In 2009 it stood at 44,538 dunams (11,000 acres), compared with 78,626 dunams (19,450 acres) in 2018.
Yogev addressed the subcommittee and said, "During the deliberations of the subcommittee, we were exposed to a political plan according to which the Palestinian Authority is working to take control of the lands in Area C by means of agricultural cultivation, construction of buildings, construction of master plans and the creation of focused friction points."
"Most of the illegal construction is in Area C, which was defined by the Oslo Accords as territories under Israeli sovereignty and security control."
Yogev also commented on the lack of manpower in the Civil Administration and wrote: "In light of the large-scale phenomenon, there is little enforcement on the part of the Civil Administration, which is connected to a shortage of manpower, but also in the absence of a clear policy."