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 The report said the land, covering 154 hectares (380 acres), was
in the fertile Jordan Valley close to Jericho, an area where Israel
already has many settlement farms built on land Palestinians seek
for their own state.
The appropriation, which Army Radio said would be announced shortly
but was not immediately confirmed by the Israeli Defense Ministry
which administers the West Bank, comes at a time of increased
international condemnation of settlement policy.
Hanan Ashrawi, a senior official in the Palestine Liberation
Organization, described Israel's reported move as a violation of
international law. She challenged the international community to
hold Israel to account.
"Israel is stealing land specially in the Jordan Valley under the
pretext it wants to annex it," she told Reuters. "This should be a
reason for a real and effective intervention by the international
community to end such a flagrant and grave aggression which kills
all chances of peace."
 The report said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon had already signed off on the
appropriation and that technical details were being finalised ahead
of a declaration expected soon.
The Defense Ministry declined to comment.
The land, already partly farmed by Jewish settlers in an area under
Israeli civilian and military control, is situated near the northern
tip of the Dead Sea.
For years, Israel has drawn intense criticism for its settlement
activities. Most countries regard the policy as illegal under
international law and a major obstacle to the creation of a viable
Palestinian state.
Palestinians want to form an independent state in the West Bank and
Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as the capital. The last talks
between Israel and the Palestinians on a so-called "two-state
solution" broke down in April 2014.
On Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby reiterated
the United States' opposition to Israel's settlement building, which
usually begins with land seizures.
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"We remain deeply concerned about Israel's current policy on
settlements, including construction, planning, and retroactive
legalizations," he said.
Hagit Ofran, a member of the anti-settlement group Peace Now, said
that unlike previous Israeli governments that largely avoided land
seizures, Netanyahu has carried out several appropriations during
his time in office.
"Since 2011, moves of this sort by Netanyahu have only drawn greater
international criticism from Israel's closest allies," she told
Reuters, describing it as a "diplomatic catastrophe".
In August 2014, soon after Hamas militants kidnapped and killed
three Jewish teenagers, Israel appropriated some 400 hectares (988
acres) in the Etzion settlement bloc near Bethlehem, a move Peace
Now said was the biggest in 30 years.
Since Oct. 1, when the latest upsurge in violence began, Palestinian
stabbings, car-rammings and shootings have killed 25 Israelis and a
U.S. citizen. At least 148 Palestinians have been killed, 94 of whom
Israel has described as assailants. Most of the others died during
violent demonstrations.
(Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah; Editing by Richard
Balmforth)
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reserved.]
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