Israel Land Authority

The Israeli government agency responsible for managing approximately 93 percent of land in the area over which Israel considers itself sovereign, including state-owned land, land belonging to the Jewish National Fund, and land held by the Development Authority. Established in 1960 as the Israel Lands Administration, the ILA was created under the principle that land in Israel (or under Israeli control) belonged to the state and could not be sold. This legal principle was reformed in 2009, and the agency’s name changed. The ILA remains responsible for allocating land for housing, industry, agriculture, infrastructure, and public purposes. While it has mostly leased land through long-term agreements, it has also expanded private ownership rights in some cases, including to settler organizations. In Jerusalem, the ILA plays a central role in confiscating Palestinian properties and dispossessing Palestinians, especially in areas close to the Old City and Silwan where settler activities are rampant.