Modernization of Palestine’s national geodetic reference frame through PAL-GRF2023

Accurate spatial data, which encompasses precise mapping, effective land management, and robust Geographic Information Systems (GIS), is essential for national development. Acknowledging this necessity, the Palestinian Land Authority (PLA) launched a significant initiative to create a contemporary geodetic framework. The existing geodetic networks in Palestine are remnants from the British Mandate period, rendering them severely outdated and insufficient for the current requirements of spatial data. This shortcoming obstructs the generation of precise cadastral and topographic maps and hampers the smooth integration of spatial information into critical land information systems. The "Development of the Palestinian National Geodetic Framework (PAL-GRF)" project entailed the establishment of 10 new local stations throughout the West Bank, each equipped with forced centering steel pillars. These stations were connected with fiducial stations from the International GNSS Service (IGS) and ITRF2020 networks to guarantee global consistency. Engineers from the Palestinian Land Authority performed extensive GNSS observations, with each station being observed simultaneously for a minimum of 8 hours. All data underwent rigorous processing utilizing the Bernese GNSS Software (BSW52) and products from the CODE analysis center. The project successfully established precise final coordinates for all PAL-GRF2023 network stations within the ITRF2020 system at epoch 2023.50. This includes comprehensive Cartesian and ellipsoidal coordinates as well as velocity components for each station. Additionally, the project derived crucial datum transformation parameters to facilitate seamless conversion between the new PAL-GRF, the historical PAL1923, and the current CORS-Network coordinate systems. This newly established framework offers a dependable and accurate basis for all forthcoming geospatial endeavors in Palestine.