Full Breakdown
Regavim’s Photo Book Shows Luxury Villas Across the West Bank
By Drooid · · How we work
Book Launch Highlights Wealthy West Bank Villas
Regavim, an Israeli non-governmental organization that monitors land-use and construction enforcement, released a photography volume titled Real Estate Under Occupation. The book presents 100 privately owned Palestinian villas and estates from the West Bank, emphasizing features such as swimming pools, marble staircases, fountains, private roads and security systems. Examples include a 4,800-square-meter estate in Shuqba with a central pool, a 1,120-square-meter neoclassical home in Nahalin with seven balconies and a turret, and gated compounds in Khirbet Zif equipped with saunas and surveillance cameras. Regavim’s field team photographed all properties in a single day.
Context of Land-Use and Permit Regimes
The featured homes are located in Areas B and C, administrative zones defined by the Oslo Accords. While the Palestinian Authority handles civilian planning in Area B, Israel retains planning authority in Area C, where construction requires Israeli approval. UN humanitarian officials have documented the difficulty Palestinians face in obtaining permits in Area C. Regavim notes that the book does not prove the legality of the properties; determining whether a villa was built without permission would require checking its precise location and permit records.
Scale and Distribution of Featured Properties
The properties span villages such as Shuqba, Nahalin, Khirbet Zif, Mukhmas, Deir Dibwan and Turmus Ayya. Regavim’s measurements, supplied by the organization, are not limited to interior living space. Turmus Ayya’s mayor estimated earlier this month that roughly 80 % of the town’s residents hold U.S. citizenship, a figure Regavim cites to illustrate ties to American communities. The World Bank’s May 2026 economic update reported that West Bank economic activity remains substantially below its pre-October 2023 level, despite modest growth in 2025, underscoring that the showcased wealth does not represent the broader population.
Official Perspectives and Responses
Regavim’s director of international affairs, Naomi Kahn, argues that international media portray Palestinian life primarily through images of poverty and oppression. The organization acknowledges that poverty exists and that the photographs do not establish how common such wealth is across the Palestinian population.
Implications for Perceptions of Palestinian Life
By juxtaposing images of opulent homes with terminology such as “oppression” and “daily hardship,” the book seeks to challenge prevailing narratives that focus on deprivation. Observers note that while the volume highlights genuine examples of affluence, it does not quantify the prevalence of such properties, leaving open questions about the overall socioeconomic distribution in the West Bank.