A Palestinian official on Sunday accused Israeli companies of forging property documents to facilitate the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

"We have 25 cases in which Palestinian lands were transferred to Israelis through forgery," said Mohammed Eliass of the Palestinian National Authority's (PNA) anti-settlement committee.

He said Israel's construction companies, army and civil administration were all involved in the practice, adding most of the cases took place near the cities of Salfeet and Qalaqilya in northern West Bank.

Moreover, Ghassan Daghlas, an activist against settlement activities, said even some Palestinians were implicated in the frauds, adding most of them are pursued by the Palestinian justice.

Under the international law, the occupying power shall not force residents of the occupied land to sell their properties, especially when the land would be used for illegal settlement activities, said Daghlas.

Israel's continued settlement activities in the West Bank and east Jerusalem brought the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians to a halt in 2010. Endi

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