The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) issues a press release on the Fiftieth Annual Commemoration of Land Day

on March 30^th, 2026 

The Palestinian people remember the Annual Commemoration of Land Day, on which six Palestinians were martyred by the Israeli occupation. It is the day on which the Israeli occupation laid its hand over and confiscated 21 thousand dunums of land in Al-Jalil, Al-Muthalath, and Al-Naqab on March 30^th, 1976. Accordingly, this day has become a commemoration to embody the belonging of the Palestinian people to their homeland and to commemorate those young martyrs.

The Israeli occupation controls more than 85% of the land

The Israeli occupation exploits more than 85% of the total land in historical Palestine, knowing that the Israelis, during the era of the British Mandate until 1947, exploited only 1,682 km², which constituted 6.2% of the land of historical Palestine. 

The Israeli occupation is still imposing its control over more Palestinian lands in the West Bank under various pretexts and names, as the confiscated areas during 2025 were more than 5,571 dunums. During 2025, 94 sequestration orders were issued regarding about 2,609 dunums, 3 expropriation orders for approximately 1,731 dunums, and 3 orders declaring state land for approximately 1,231 dunums. All of these orders were part of the systematic and ongoing policy to control all Palestinian lands and deprive Palestinians from exploiting their natural resources within the annexation policy pursued by the Israeli occupation authorities in the West Bank.

The number of martyrs in Palestine since the start of the Israeli occupation aggression on October 7^th, 2023, until March 10^th, 2026, reached more than 73,259 martyrs (72,134 martyrs in Gaza Strip). Hence, more than 18,500 martyrs were children, more than 12,400 were women, in addition to about 11,200 missing persons, and about 182,000 other citizens were injured. 

While in the West Bank, the Israeli occupation continued its aggression; 1,116 citizens were martyred, and 9,000 others were injured, as a result of the attacks by the Israeli occupation forces and settlers.

More than 102,000 buildings were destroyed in Gaza Strip.

Since the Israeli occupation aggression against Gaza Strip on October 7^th, 2023, the occupation has destroyed more than 102,000 buildings. It is estimated that at least 330,000 housing units were completely or partially destroyed, constituting more than 70% of the housing units in Gaza Strip, in addition to schools, hospitals, mosques, churches, headquarters, and other basic building materials. The Israeli occupation has also destroyed essential infrastructure such as roads, water and electricity lines, and sewage lines belonging to other people, making Gaza Strip an uninhabitable place

Numbers of Damaged Buildings in Gaza Strip since October 7^th, 2023, by Type of Building

During 2025, the Israeli occupation demolished and destroyed completely or partially more than 1,400 buildings and facilities in the West Bank, including 258 buildings and facilities in Jerusalem Governorate (of which 104 were self-demolitions in Jerusalem). In addition to issuing 991 demolition orders for Palestinian facilities under the pretext of lack of permits.

Self-Demolitions in Jerusalem Governorate       2010 – 2025

Israeli Settlements: Continuous Expansion

By the end of 2024, there were 580 Israeli occupation sites and military bases in the West Bank, including 151 settlements and 256 settlement outposts, of which 29 inhabited outposts were considered as neighborhoods following established settlements, in addition to 144 classified as other sites (industrial, tourist, service areas, and Israeli army bases).

As for the number of settlers in the West Bank, it reached 778,567 by the end of 2024.

Accordingly, data show that around 42.8% of settlers live in Jerusalem Governorate, where their number reached about 333,580 settlers; out of whom 243,716 settlers live in East Jerusalem (J1) “includes those parts of Jerusalem which were annexed by the Israeli occupation in 1967” followed by Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate with 157,960 settlers, 110,032 settlers in Bethlehem Governorate, and 57,981 settlers in Salfit Governorate. While Tubas & the Northern Valleys Governorate has the lowest number of settlers, reaching 3,077.

In regard to demographics, the proportion of settlers to the Palestinian population in the West Bank is about 23.2 settlers per 100 Palestinians. It was the highest in Jerusalem Governorate, where there were 65.7 settlers per 100 Palestinians. 

More than 23,800 attacks were carried out by Israeli occupation authorities and settlers during 2025

Israeli occupation authorities and settlers, under the protection of the Israeli occupation army, carried out 23,827 attacks against Palestinians (5,770 attacks included the killing of citizens, burning of homes, facilities and vehicles, and the theft of property, 1,393 attacks on lands and natural resources, and 16,664 attacks on individuals). These attacks also caused the uprooting, damage, and bulldozing of more than 35,273 trees, including about 26,988 olive trees.

From the beginning of 2026 until the end of February, the Israeli occupation authorities and settlers, under the protection of the Israeli occupation army, carried out 3,837 attacks against Palestinian citizens and their property. The attacks included 791 on property and religious places, 236 on land and natural resources, and 2,810 on individuals. In addition, Palestinians are denied access to tens of thousands of dunums of agricultural land and hundreds of thousands of dunums of grazing land, which has negatively affected Palestinian food security amidst the difficult economic conditions faced by the Palestinian people.

Sources:

1. Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics 2025: Israeli settlements in the West Bank 2024. Ramallah - Palestine.

2. Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission 2026, the most prominent violations of the Israeli occupation State and colonizers in the occupied Palestinian territories, annual report, 2025. Ramallah - Palestine.

3. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Territories (OCHA), 2025.