Israeli firing zones in the West Bank

Israeli firing zones in the West Bank are extensive areas of Area C in the occupied West Bank declared off-limits to civilian presence for the ostensible purpose of military training. They are considered to be part of the wider issue of Israeli land expropriation in the West Bank, alongside the declarations of State Land in the West Bank.

Since 1967, Israel has designated roughly 18–20% of the West Bank (nearly 30% of Area C) as firing zones. In these zones, any civilian presence or construction without special permission is forbidden by military order. Despite the restrictions, dozens of longstanding Palestinian communities—over 5,000 people in 38 villages as of recent counts—live inside these areas.

Israeli firing zones in the West Bank continue to be a contentious issue, with implications for military policy, settlement expansion, and human rights. While Israel argues these areas are necessary for security, international bodies widely view them as mechanisms of land control that contribute to displacement and restrict Palestinian development. According to Amnesty International the "Israeli army routinely demolishes Palestinian homes and structures in these "firing zones"; by contrast, the Israel authorities have changed the status of some "of these "firing zones" to allow for the expansion of Israeli settlements located partially or completely in them." The eviction of Palestinians in these areas has been critized by the United Nations, human rights organizations like B'Tselem, Bimkom and Human Rights Watch, and the European Union.