22 july 2019
Peace Now reports 32 new remote settlement satellites founded since 2012, mostly farms aiming to take over Palestinian land and many publicly funded
Settlers have established dozens of unauthorized outposts in the West Bank in recent years, most of them founded since President Donald Trump entered office, an Israeli settlement watchdog group said Monday.
Peace Now said in a new report that settlers have founded 32 remote West Bank outposts since 2012, often with tactic government support.
Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Six-Day War. The Palestinians seek these areas as parts of a future state. Most of the international community considers the Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law and an impediment to a two-state solution to the conflict.
According to Peace Now, most of the new outposts are farms that aim to take over large tracts of land at the expense of Palestinians and are often publicly funded.
Other cases included the creation of educational institutions and tourist sites that receive funding from their respective government ministries.
"Most of the illegal construction is carried out in an organized manner by officials and with extensive funding from the public coffers," it said.
Scores of settlement outposts dot the West Bank, in addition to over 120 established settlements. Over time, outposts often grow into neighborhoods of nearby settlements or into full-fledged settlements of their own.
Trump's Mideast team is led by figures with close ties to the settler movement. His ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, for instance, recently told the New York Times that Israel has the "right" to annex some of the West Bank.
Both critics and supporters of the settlements say the White House's friendly attitude has encouraged a jump in settlement activity.
Peace Now said the government has retroactively authorized 15 outposts this year and seeks to approve 35 more as part of what it called a major expansion of West Bank settlements.
"Law enforcement authorities ignore the theft of the land and in effect abet this activity," Peace Now said. "Settlers see this correctly as an incentive to build more outposts."
The Defense Ministry and COGAT, the defense body responsible for civil affairs in the West Bank, did not respond to requests for comment.
Settlers have established dozens of unauthorized outposts in the West Bank in recent years, most of them founded since President Donald Trump entered office, an Israeli settlement watchdog group said Monday.
Peace Now said in a new report that settlers have founded 32 remote West Bank outposts since 2012, often with tactic government support.
Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Six-Day War. The Palestinians seek these areas as parts of a future state. Most of the international community considers the Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law and an impediment to a two-state solution to the conflict.
According to Peace Now, most of the new outposts are farms that aim to take over large tracts of land at the expense of Palestinians and are often publicly funded.
Other cases included the creation of educational institutions and tourist sites that receive funding from their respective government ministries.
"Most of the illegal construction is carried out in an organized manner by officials and with extensive funding from the public coffers," it said.
Scores of settlement outposts dot the West Bank, in addition to over 120 established settlements. Over time, outposts often grow into neighborhoods of nearby settlements or into full-fledged settlements of their own.
Trump's Mideast team is led by figures with close ties to the settler movement. His ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, for instance, recently told the New York Times that Israel has the "right" to annex some of the West Bank.
Both critics and supporters of the settlements say the White House's friendly attitude has encouraged a jump in settlement activity.
Peace Now said the government has retroactively authorized 15 outposts this year and seeks to approve 35 more as part of what it called a major expansion of West Bank settlements.
"Law enforcement authorities ignore the theft of the land and in effect abet this activity," Peace Now said. "Settlers see this correctly as an incentive to build more outposts."
The Defense Ministry and COGAT, the defense body responsible for civil affairs in the West Bank, did not respond to requests for comment.
20 july 2019
Hamas's spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri has denounced the latest statements by the US Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt's on the West Bank settlements.
"Greenblatt's remarks that the West Bank is not occupied and that Israeli settlements are "Jewish neighborhoods" are rude," adding that these statements confirm that Donald Trump's administration is clearly biased against the Palestinians.
"Israel is actually more the victim than the party that's responsible" for the Middle East conflict, said Greenblatt in an interview with PBS on Wednesday.
Greenblatt rejected using the word "settlements", adding he prefers to refer to the Jewish communities established on Palestinian lands in the West Bank as "neighborhoods and cities." He also rejected the term "occupied" to describe the West Bank. "I would argue that the land is disputed," he said.
"Greenblatt's remarks that the West Bank is not occupied and that Israeli settlements are "Jewish neighborhoods" are rude," adding that these statements confirm that Donald Trump's administration is clearly biased against the Palestinians.
"Israel is actually more the victim than the party that's responsible" for the Middle East conflict, said Greenblatt in an interview with PBS on Wednesday.
Greenblatt rejected using the word "settlements", adding he prefers to refer to the Jewish communities established on Palestinian lands in the West Bank as "neighborhoods and cities." He also rejected the term "occupied" to describe the West Bank. "I would argue that the land is disputed," he said.
18 july 2019
Israeli settlers have installed a number of mobile homes on Palestinian-owned lands in the northern Jordan Valley.
Human rights activist Aref Daraghmeh said Israeli settlers have set up mobile homes on privately-owned Palestinian lands in Wadi al-Maleh, al-Suwaida and Khillet Hamad areas in the northern Jordan Valley.
Daraghmeh pointed out that more structures are set to be brought to those areas in the coming days.
He added that the Israeli settlers visited the Jordan Valley last week, conducted a survey of the targeted areas, and planted trees around them.
Human rights activist Aref Daraghmeh said Israeli settlers have set up mobile homes on privately-owned Palestinian lands in Wadi al-Maleh, al-Suwaida and Khillet Hamad areas in the northern Jordan Valley.
Daraghmeh pointed out that more structures are set to be brought to those areas in the coming days.
He added that the Israeli settlers visited the Jordan Valley last week, conducted a survey of the targeted areas, and planted trees around them.
17 july 2019
The Illegal Settlement of Gilo in East Jerusalem.
By: Madeeha Araj/ NBPRS/
The National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements said in his latest weekly report , stated in the fifteen anniversary of the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice -ICJ in the Hague on July 9th, 2004 regarding the Israeli separation wall in which the Court affirmed that the Wall is not a security one, and contradicts the International Law, and called on Israel to stop building and to demolish the built parts, and to redress the damage done to citizens, institutions, and public and private administrations, including residents in and around East Jerusalem, but the opinion “fatwa” remained stuck in the absence of the international’s will to oblige the occupying state to ban building.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, 85% of the route passes through the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, comprising 9.4% of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Latrun Valley. The planned length of the route is 712 km i.e double the borders of the 1967, (323 km), and more than 150 Palestinian communities are living there, and 65 of the settlements.
Within a different context, the PM Netanyahu declared at the celebration marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the so-called “Samaria Regional Council” to uproot any settlement in the “Land of Israel” under his leadership, and will not repeat the mistakes of the past referring to the Ariel Sharon’s so-called unilateral disengagement plan and the dismantling of settlements in the Gaza Strip in 2005.
At the same time, the occupation authorities continue the policy of ethnic cleansing, especially in Jerusalem, and they handed over 16 demolition orders at the Wadi-Homs Neighborhood otherwise, they will be fined, despite the fact that they located in area A. However, the Israeli occupation forces claim that the demolition is for security reasons.
The construction is prohibited for 250 meters in the vicinity of the racist annexation wall that Israel began after 2002. In 2005, the Israeli occupation authorities began to build a separation wall in the areas of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The laws of the occupation require that houses be removed 250 meters from each side of the apartheid wall. In the same context, the Israeli occupation authorities have been informed of the demolition of houses in the Wadi Qaddum neighborhood of Silwan.
On the other hand, the “pay the price” terrorists carried out 57 terrorist attacks in 2016. The number of such attacks increased to 79 in 2017 and 205 in 2018. The Israeli army said that the attacks against the Palestinians include the burning of agricultural fields and the destruction of property, and approved the construction of 216 new settlement units in the Gilo settlement south of occupied Jerusalem.
The move coincides with a marked increase in the construction of settlements in Jerusalem, which is witnessing a rise in the pace of demolition of Palestinian homes. This comes within the framework of the approval of the Municipality of the occupation to build two towers with an 18-storey high in each of the mentioned settlement, which will accommodate 40,000 population.
The decision came amid a marked increase in settlement construction in the city of East Jerusalem. At the end of last June, Israeli authorities approved tenders for the construction of 460 housing units in the Pisgat Ze’ev settlement and 345 units in the Ramot settlement, north of occupied Jerusalem.
The Israeli occupation forces have begun to develop and build a network of huge settlement roads south of occupied Jerusalem to facilitate the movement of settlers and link the settlement blocs to each other. Some. Settlers began construction of 105 graves.
By: Madeeha Araj/ NBPRS/
The National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements said in his latest weekly report , stated in the fifteen anniversary of the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice -ICJ in the Hague on July 9th, 2004 regarding the Israeli separation wall in which the Court affirmed that the Wall is not a security one, and contradicts the International Law, and called on Israel to stop building and to demolish the built parts, and to redress the damage done to citizens, institutions, and public and private administrations, including residents in and around East Jerusalem, but the opinion “fatwa” remained stuck in the absence of the international’s will to oblige the occupying state to ban building.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, 85% of the route passes through the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, comprising 9.4% of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Latrun Valley. The planned length of the route is 712 km i.e double the borders of the 1967, (323 km), and more than 150 Palestinian communities are living there, and 65 of the settlements.
Within a different context, the PM Netanyahu declared at the celebration marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the so-called “Samaria Regional Council” to uproot any settlement in the “Land of Israel” under his leadership, and will not repeat the mistakes of the past referring to the Ariel Sharon’s so-called unilateral disengagement plan and the dismantling of settlements in the Gaza Strip in 2005.
At the same time, the occupation authorities continue the policy of ethnic cleansing, especially in Jerusalem, and they handed over 16 demolition orders at the Wadi-Homs Neighborhood otherwise, they will be fined, despite the fact that they located in area A. However, the Israeli occupation forces claim that the demolition is for security reasons.
The construction is prohibited for 250 meters in the vicinity of the racist annexation wall that Israel began after 2002. In 2005, the Israeli occupation authorities began to build a separation wall in the areas of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The laws of the occupation require that houses be removed 250 meters from each side of the apartheid wall. In the same context, the Israeli occupation authorities have been informed of the demolition of houses in the Wadi Qaddum neighborhood of Silwan.
On the other hand, the “pay the price” terrorists carried out 57 terrorist attacks in 2016. The number of such attacks increased to 79 in 2017 and 205 in 2018. The Israeli army said that the attacks against the Palestinians include the burning of agricultural fields and the destruction of property, and approved the construction of 216 new settlement units in the Gilo settlement south of occupied Jerusalem.
The move coincides with a marked increase in the construction of settlements in Jerusalem, which is witnessing a rise in the pace of demolition of Palestinian homes. This comes within the framework of the approval of the Municipality of the occupation to build two towers with an 18-storey high in each of the mentioned settlement, which will accommodate 40,000 population.
The decision came amid a marked increase in settlement construction in the city of East Jerusalem. At the end of last June, Israeli authorities approved tenders for the construction of 460 housing units in the Pisgat Ze’ev settlement and 345 units in the Ramot settlement, north of occupied Jerusalem.
The Israeli occupation forces have begun to develop and build a network of huge settlement roads south of occupied Jerusalem to facilitate the movement of settlers and link the settlement blocs to each other. Some. Settlers began construction of 105 graves.
Israeli Occupation Forces razed areas of Palestinian land in Huwwara village, south of Nablus, on Wednesday and set up mobile homes.
The official for settlements in the northern West Bank, Ghassan Douglas, said that Israeli bulldozers have been working for hours on the land in the area of Naqar in the town of Huwwara, while a number of mobile homes were being erected on Palestinian owned land.
The official for settlements in the northern West Bank, Ghassan Douglas, said that Israeli bulldozers have been working for hours on the land in the area of Naqar in the town of Huwwara, while a number of mobile homes were being erected on Palestinian owned land.
14 july 2019
Michael Lynk, the UN special rapporteur for the situation in Palestine, on Friday raised concern about the lack of human rights accountability for Israeli violations in Palestine, warning that such situation encourage further territorial annexation.
Lynk's remarks came in Amman of Jordan following his week-long visit, where he met with Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations after he was denied entry to Palestine by the Israeli occupation authority.
”The United Nations has stated on numerous occasions that the Israeli settlements are illegal, its annexation of east Jerusalem is unlawful, and its violations of the human rights of the Palestinians breach international covenants and treaties," he said, adding Israel's refusal of his entry was against its obligations as a UN member.
“Now is the time for the international community to hold Israel fully accountable for its actions, and to determine whether Israel’s role as the occupying power has crossed the bright red line into illegality.”
Lynk's remarks came in Amman of Jordan following his week-long visit, where he met with Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations after he was denied entry to Palestine by the Israeli occupation authority.
”The United Nations has stated on numerous occasions that the Israeli settlements are illegal, its annexation of east Jerusalem is unlawful, and its violations of the human rights of the Palestinians breach international covenants and treaties," he said, adding Israel's refusal of his entry was against its obligations as a UN member.
“Now is the time for the international community to hold Israel fully accountable for its actions, and to determine whether Israel’s role as the occupying power has crossed the bright red line into illegality.”
11 july 2019
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R), US National Security Advisor John Bolton (C) and US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman (L) visit an old army outpost overlooking the Jordan Valley between the Israeli city of Beit Shean and the West Bank city of Jericho on June 23, 2019
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the regime will not evacuate the settlements it has built in defiance of international law on the occupied Palestinian territories under any conflict resolution deal with Palestine.
“In any diplomatic plan, I will not allow the uprooting of a single settlement or a single settler, not a single settler,” Netanyahu said on Wednesday.
Netanyahu said the Israeli military would continue to operate in all of West Bank, including the Jordan Valley, adding “we will continue to build and develop” the settlements.
“Look at what we did in the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem [al-Quds]. To be continued,” he said, referring to two territories the regime captured during the 1967 Six Day War and later effectively annexed.
In March, US President Donald Trump formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the occupied side of Syria’s Golan Heights.
In December 2017, Trump had also recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s “capital” and later mover the US embassy to the occupied Palestinian city.
Israel has over the past decades built dozens of settlements on the occupied Palestinian and Syrian territories in defiance of international calls for the regime to stop its illegal construction activities.
Netanyahu’s comments as Trump prepares to unveil a controversial deal aimed at resolving the decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestine.
The Palestinians have already rejected the deal, which is reportedly highly pro-Israel.
Washington last month held a conference in Bahrain, during which it unveiled the economic portion of what Trump has called the “deal of the century.”
That event was boycotted by the Palestinians and all supporters of the Palestinian cause.
Recent revelations say under Trump’s deal, the settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank — which are illegal under international law and UN Security Council Resolution 2334 — will remain under the Israeli regime’s control and will expand to reach out to other isolated settlements.
On May 7, Israeli Hebrew-language daily newspaper Israel Hayom, which is close to Netanyahu, published a leaked document circulated by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, detailing the elements of the US back-channel “peace” plan.
Meanwhile, Israel’s TV channel 12 reported that the regime had approved the construction of 216 new settler units in a settlement south of Jerusalem al-Quds.
About 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.
Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the regime will not evacuate the settlements it has built in defiance of international law on the occupied Palestinian territories under any conflict resolution deal with Palestine.
“In any diplomatic plan, I will not allow the uprooting of a single settlement or a single settler, not a single settler,” Netanyahu said on Wednesday.
Netanyahu said the Israeli military would continue to operate in all of West Bank, including the Jordan Valley, adding “we will continue to build and develop” the settlements.
“Look at what we did in the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem [al-Quds]. To be continued,” he said, referring to two territories the regime captured during the 1967 Six Day War and later effectively annexed.
In March, US President Donald Trump formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the occupied side of Syria’s Golan Heights.
In December 2017, Trump had also recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s “capital” and later mover the US embassy to the occupied Palestinian city.
Israel has over the past decades built dozens of settlements on the occupied Palestinian and Syrian territories in defiance of international calls for the regime to stop its illegal construction activities.
Netanyahu’s comments as Trump prepares to unveil a controversial deal aimed at resolving the decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestine.
The Palestinians have already rejected the deal, which is reportedly highly pro-Israel.
Washington last month held a conference in Bahrain, during which it unveiled the economic portion of what Trump has called the “deal of the century.”
That event was boycotted by the Palestinians and all supporters of the Palestinian cause.
Recent revelations say under Trump’s deal, the settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank — which are illegal under international law and UN Security Council Resolution 2334 — will remain under the Israeli regime’s control and will expand to reach out to other isolated settlements.
On May 7, Israeli Hebrew-language daily newspaper Israel Hayom, which is close to Netanyahu, published a leaked document circulated by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, detailing the elements of the US back-channel “peace” plan.
Meanwhile, Israel’s TV channel 12 reported that the regime had approved the construction of 216 new settler units in a settlement south of Jerusalem al-Quds.
About 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.
Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.
10 july 2019
Israel's Planning and Building Committee has approved the construction of 216 new housing units in Gilo settlement south of Jerusalem.
Israel's TV channel 12 reported that the project involves the construction of two 18-floor towers to attracts young settlers.
The Israeli government has recently stepped up its settlement expansion activities in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Israel's TV channel 12 reported that the project involves the construction of two 18-floor towers to attracts young settlers.
The Israeli government has recently stepped up its settlement expansion activities in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) has roundly condemned the opening by the Israeli occupation authority of a tunnel named the “Path of the Pilgrims” linking Silwan town in Jerusalem with the Aqsa Mosque and its vicinity.
This new settlement project, said ISESCO, is a flagrant violation of international law and UN and UNESCO resolutions calling for protecting and respecting the inviolability of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
ISESCO also called on the international community to condemn such Israeli violation which it described as a criminal act and curb the occupation state from further changing the civilizational, human and religious landmarks of Jerusalem.
ISESCO reiterated its unfailing educational, cultural and scientific support for Palestine in general and Jerusalem in particular.
This new settlement project, said ISESCO, is a flagrant violation of international law and UN and UNESCO resolutions calling for protecting and respecting the inviolability of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
ISESCO also called on the international community to condemn such Israeli violation which it described as a criminal act and curb the occupation state from further changing the civilizational, human and religious landmarks of Jerusalem.
ISESCO reiterated its unfailing educational, cultural and scientific support for Palestine in general and Jerusalem in particular.
