Government Property & Abandoned Lands

Commissioner of Government Property and Abandoned Lands in Judea and Samaria (Israel Lands Authority in Judea and Samaria)

The Commissioner is charged with managing state lands, deserted properties (absentee lands of Palestinians who abandoned the region), and Jewish lands that were purchased prior to 1948, during the British Mandate period. The Commissioner operates pursuant to the professional guidelines issued by the Israel Lands Authority and the laws applicable to the region. From a policy perspective, the Commissioner is guided by the Head of the Civil Administration and the security apparatus.

The Commissioner operates pursuant to the following directives:

• Directive concerning abandoned (private) properties, Judea and Samaria - #58, 5727-1967
• Directive concerning government property, Judea and Samaria - #59, 5727-1967
• Order 402.1 - Regulation regarding the allocation of state lands for settlement purposes

Areas of Responsibility and Services

•  Management of government lands, promotion of planning, tender-exempt allocations, and property sales through public tenders
• Management of Palestinian absentees' properties
• Management of Jewish lands purchased by Jews during the British Mandate period
• Granting of planning authorizations to local councils for promotion of residential unit supply and Jewish settlement development
• Allocation of lands, by means of public tenders, for the benefit of economic ventures / residences / industry / tourism / commerce / gas stations, etc.
• Allocation of lands to the Palestinian population for purposes of residences / agriculture
• Handling of property rights certificates, rights transfers, mortgages, foreclosures, and attachments (of collateral)
• Tender-exempt allocations and allocations to local councils
• Promotion and financing of planning authorizations in order to create supply of units for residences / commerce / industry / tourism / gas stations, etc. for the region's entire population
• Declaration of state lands by means of the Surveyed Lands Procedure
• Identification of state and Jewish lands in Judea and Samaria
• Handling of land disputes between the Israeli and Palestinian populations
• Handling of Palestinian real estate transactions
• Handling of Israeli land acquisitions
• Handling of seizure/expropriation orders
• Handling of directives related to infrastructure / water lines / power lines / communication lines / roads, etc.
• Handling of registration of state and Jewish lands in the Land Registry

Digital Services

For inquiries regarding routine issues, it is recommended to first contact the Israel Lands Authority call center at: 03-9533333 / *5575. The call center provides assistance on issues relating to tenders, applications submission, application status, payments, information on particular properties, hours of operation, forms, and contracts. Public service is available at the call center / on the internet / via fax / through public inquiries.