Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen: We’re Implementing Annexation on the Ground in the West Bank

Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen announced on Monday, April 20, 2026, that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is implementing annexation on the ground in the West Bank, defying international opposition to these policies.

Cohen, a member of the Security Cabinet, stated via the X platform that what is happening is “applying sovereignty on the ground.”

“Applying sovereignty on the ground!

I reached an agreement with the head of the Samaria Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, regarding connecting the new settlements in Samaria to the electricity and water networks, including Homesh, Sha’ar Nur, Rehavam, and Ebal.

We are strengthening our hold on our ancestral lands, putting Judea and Samaria on the map in terms of energy and infrastructure, improving the lives of residents and energy security, and accelerating economic development in the region.

I will continue to work for Judea and Samaria in all my positions.”

The Israeli government uses the term “sovereignty” to refer to “annexation,” a move that US President Donald Trump has previously rejected in the West Bank.

Cohen, a leading member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, added that he had reached an agreement with Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council (settlements in the northern West Bank), regarding connecting new settlements to electricity and water networks. These settlements include Homesh, Sanur, Rehavam, and Ebal.

Since taking office in December 2012, Netanyahu’s government has escalated settlement activity in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which the United Nations considers occupied Palestinian territory.