This report highlights the events concerning colonizing activities in the West Bank and Gaza that occurred between the months of August and October. The report describes and evaluates those events and their effects on the Palestinian community. The report also tries to predict the repercussions expected in the future as a result of those events. 

The West Bank (excluding Jerusalem) 

 

For background information on the West Bank click here.  The Israeli violations that were reported between the months of August till Octoberare reported in the following table. Table 1: Israeli Violations in the West Bank from August till October2000

Date	Violation	Location	Violators
01-Aug-00	E – Bullsozing 50 dunums of land owned by 15 Palestinian families	Qalqiliya District – Kafr Thulth village	The settlers of Ma'ale Shomeron
01-Aug-00	C – Bulldozing 150 dunums of land to expand Alfei Menashe settlement	Qalqiliya District – 'Isal village	The settlers of Alfei Menashe
03-Aug-00	C – Erecting two caravans on a piece of land owned by the heirs of Saood Mansour in order to expand the settlement	Nablus District – Nablus	The settlers of Bracha
03-Aug-00	C – Setting up electricity poles	Nablus District – Huwwara village	Jewish settlers
08-Aug-00	R – Continuing to open the by-pass road	Nablus District – Taffuh village	The Israeli government
08-Aug-00	O + C – Firing live ammunition at Palestinians in addition to trying to set up a caravan on a piece of land owned by the villagers	Nablus District – Salem village	The settlers of Elon Moreh
08-Aug-00	C – Setting up 8 mobile houses to expand the settlement	Nablus District – Shvut Rahel settlement	The settlers of Shvut Rahel
09-Aug-00	C – Adding a new caravan; see related topic	Nablus District – Itamar settlement	Jewish settlers
09-Aug-00	R + C – Opening a new by-pass road and setting up  a new caravan	Nablus District – Bracha settlement	Jewish settlers
09-Aug-00	C – Constructing new housing units	Nablus District – Mizpe Rahel settlement	Jewish settlers
09-Aug-00	C – Construction of new housing units	Nablus District – Karne Shomron settlement	Jewish settlers
16-Aug-00	U – Trying to uproot olive trees from 30-dunum plot	Qalqiliya District – Kafr Kaddum village	Jewish settlers
16-Aug-00	U – Uprooting a number of trees to allow the construction of a 24-inch diameter water pipe for the settlers of Alfei Menashe	Qalqiliya District – 'Isla village	The Israeli bulldozers
16-Aug-00	S – bulldozing 1500 dunums of land to construct a new settlement neighborhood of Alfei Menashe	Qalqiliya District – 'Isla village	The Israeli bulldozers
16-Aug-00	E – Bulldozing a 200- dunum plot, as a preparation to expand Gilo settlement	Bethlehem District – Beit Jala county council	The Israeli occupation authorities
16-Aug-00	U – Uprooting 150 olive and fig trees planted on 20 dunums of land	Bethlehem District – Husan, Wadi Fukin and Nahalin villages	Jewish bulldozers & Israeli military Border
17-Aug-00	S + C – Confiscation of agricultural lands and erection of a number of mobile houses	Bethlehem District	Betar settlers
17-Aug-00	S + U – Confiscation of plots of lands & uprooting 150 olive trees.	Ramallah District – Al-Lubban village	The Israeli authorities
18-Aug-00	S – Seizure of number of dunums	Nablus District – Yatma village	The settlers of Rachelim
19-Aug-00	O – A Palestinian child (Mu'ein Talahmeh) died when an explosive device exploded	Hebron District-Al- Burj village	The Israeli occupation forces
20-Aug-00	E – Bulldozing 50 dunums of land for the expansion of nearby Israeli settlements	Qalqiliya District – 'Isla village	The Israeli bulldozers
25-Aug-00	C – A new tender has been issued to construct 33 new settlement housing units on 11- dunums of confiscated land in order to expand the settlement	Bethlehem District – Al-Khadr village	The Israeli government
26-Aug-00	S – Closing off huge tracks of lands under the pretext of being used for military purposes	Nablus District – Tubas and Tayasir villages	The Israeli forces
28-Aug-00	U – Burning of 200 olive trees owned by Suleiman family	Nablus District – Deir Istiya village	The settlers of Ravava
28-Aug-00	O – An explosive device has killed a Palestinian child Nassar Ka'abneh, when he was grazing his family's cattle	Jericho District – Jordan Valley	The Israeli authorities
30-Aug-00	S – Occupying a Palestinian hilltop after having set up 20 mobile homes a year ago	Bethlehem District – Al-Khadr and Nahali villages	The settlers of Gush Etzion
30-Aug-00	D – Issuing a demolition order to a Palestinian house.	Bethlehem District -El-Walajeh village	The Israeli authorities
30-Aug-00	S – Sending notices to confiscate 250 dunums of land.	Bethlehem District – 'Arab ar Rashayda village	The Israeli authorities
30-Aug-00	O – The PNA has managed to prevent illegal land purchase of 61 dunums to a settler from Givat Zeev	Ramallah District – Beituniya village	A Jewish settler
31-Aug-00	U – Cutting down 70 olive trees	Qalqiliya District – Kafr Thulth & Khallet Ma'an villages	The settlers of Ma'ale Shomeron
31-Aug-00	R – Starting to open a new settlement by-pass roads which threatened 10,000 dunums of lands to be seized	Bethlehem District – Tuqu' village	The Israeli bulldozers
01-Sep-00	O – Delivering a demolition order to Mahmoud Abu Hamad's house  under the pretext of being built in a Green Area	Jenin District – Rummana village	The Israeli occupation forces
01-Sep-00	U – Uprooting tens of olive and fig trees a nd replaced them with caravans as a preparation to seize the land. Click for more	Nablus District – Beit Furik village	The settlers of Itamar
04-Sep-00	S – Confiscating a 20 dunum plot	Nablus District  – along Trans Samaria Highway	The Israeli forces
04-Sep-00	S – Preventing the villagers from reaching their lands. Later, they expropriated the land in order to expand Aveni Hefetz settlement	Tulkarm District – Shufa village	The settlers of Aveni Hefetz
04-Sep-00	R – Trying to open a new settlement by-pass road around the nearby confiscated land. The plot is estimated at 95 dunums	Bethlehem District – Bit Fajjar village	The Israeli bulldozers
14-Sep-00	S – Seizure of a 300- plot of land belonged to Palestinian citizens. Click for more	Ramallah District – Al-Janiya village	Dolev & Talmon settlers
15-Sep-00	C – Submitting the second stage plan for building a new Jewish settlement for the approval of the so-called 'Building and Urban Palnning Committee at Olmert's Municipality.	Bethlehem District – Abu Ghneim Mountain (Har Homa settlement)	The Israeli Ministry of Housing and Construction
17-Sep-00	E – Bulldozing 36 dunums of land as a preparation for the building of a huge commercial center	Qalqiliya District – Kafr Laqif village	The Israeli company 'Qadumim 2000'
17-Sep-00	E – Bulldozing wide areas of land to connect the entrances of Ginnot Shomeron and Maale Azoon settlements	Qalqiliya District – Kafr Laqif village	The Israeli bulldozers
17-Sep-00	S – Bulldozing 13 dunum of agricultural lands	Bethlehem District -Bit Sahour village (Jaba al Sakour hamlet)	The Israeli occupation forces
18-Sep-00	S – Capturing a piece of land as a preparation to be annexed to Kedar settlement	Bethlehem District – Tuqu' and At Ta'amreh villages	The settlers of Kedar
18-Sep-00	D – Dispatching several notices to demolish seven Palestinian houses under the pretext of being built without permits	Hebron District	The Israeli authorities
18-Sep-00	S – issuing notification orders to stop building works in 24 Palestinian houses, under the pretext of being located in area C	Hebron District	The Israeli authorities
19-Sep-00	D – Demolishing two houses and water supply canals	Tulkarm District – A'ttil village	The Israeli bulldozers
20-Sep-00	U – Bulldozing 350 dunums of land by uprooting a number of olive trees	Qalqiliya District – Jayyus village	The Israeli forces
20-Sep-00	S – Issuing a military order to confiscate 14 locations in the H-2 (Israeli controlled) area in Hebron city, in order to be used for military purposes	Hebron District – Tel Rumeida village and the old city	The Israeli occupation authorities
24-Sep-00	S – Bulldozing a piece of land estimated at 30 dunums	Hebron District – Maon settlement	The settlers of Maon
26-Sep-00	C – Moving 150 caravans to Aveni hefetz settlement in an attempt to establish a new settlement neighborhood there	Tulkarm District – Shufa & Kafr al Labad villages	The Israeli occupation forces
26-Sep-00	R – Opening a new by-pass road that connect Kisan village with Ma'ale 'Amos settlement	Hebron District – Kisan village	The Israeli occupation forces
27-Sep-00	U -Uprooting several numbers of olive trees, in an attempt to expropriates the land	Bethlehem District – Beit Jala village	The settlers of Gilo
28-Sep-00	O – Attacking a Palestinian inhabitant, and cutting down the phone lines from a number of Palestinian traders	Hebron District – Sourif village	Jewish settlers
05-Oct-00	O – Cutting the electricity poles	Hebron District – Beit Ula, Tarqumiya and Idhna villages	The Israeli authorities
07-Oct-00	O – Poisoning 250 vine trees	Hebron District – Tel Rumeida settlement	The settlers of Tel Rumeida
09-Oct-00	O – Killing a Palestinian inhabitant	Ramallah District – Azzoun village	Jewish settlers
09-Oct-00	O – The body of a Palestinian citizen was found in a field near Halamish settlement. See photo1	Ramallah District – Umm Safa village	Jewish settlers
09-Oct-00	O – Opening fire at Palestinian houses, properties, in an attempt to storm the village	Bethlehem District – Al Khadr village	the settlers of Efrat
10-Oct-00	E – Bulldozing areas of land to expand Shaked and Hinnanit settlements	Jenin District – 'Anin and Umm ar Rihan villages	The Israeli forces
10-Oct-00	U – Setting fire to a number of olive trees	Jenin District – different villages	Jewish settlers
10-Oct-00	O – Attacking 'Bit Enoun' the girl's school	Hebron District – Qiryat Arba settlement	A group of Jewish settlers
11-Oct-00	O – Violent confrontations continued between Palestinians and the settlers	Bethlehem District -Al Khadr village	The settlers of Efrat and NeveDannial
11-Oct-00	O – Assaulting the cars that transferred the physically handicapped children and preventing them from reaching their schools	Ramallah District	Jewish settlers
12-Oct-00	S  – Sending eviction orders to Palestinians to leave their homes	Hebron District – Hagai settlement	The settlers of Hagai
12-Oct-00	O – Attacking Palestinian villagers	Hebron District – Beit 'Awwa, Sikka, Al- Majd, Deir al 'Asla and Beit Mirsim villages	The settlers of Sheqef (located west of 1949 Armistice line
12-Oct-00	O – Closing off Halhoul way;	Hebron District – Halhoul village	The Israeli forces
14-Oct-00	O – Attacking a Palestinian house and its inhabitants	Hebron District	The settlers of Qiryat Arba
15-Oct-00	O – Shooting at Palestinian villagers	Hebron District – Beit 'Awwa, Sikka, Al- Majd and Deir al 'Asal villages	The settlers of Sheqef ( west of 1949 Armistice line
16-Oct-00	E  – Expanding Nahal Negohot settlement	Hebron District –  west of Dura village	The Israeli occupation authorities
17-Oct-00	O – Attacking a Palestinian student when she was coming back to her father's house, causing several injuries to her	Hebron District -Tel Rumeida village	Extremists Jewish settlers
18-Oct-00	U – Burning a number of olive trees	Nablus District – Kifl Haris village	The settlers of Ravava
19-Oct-00	O + U + S – Attacking Palestinian villagers while they were picking their olive crops. Also, uprooting more than 300 olive trees and Attacking two Palestinian houses and transformed them into military sites	Nablus District – Huwwara village	The settlers of Yizhar
19-Oct-00	U – Uprooting more than 200 olive trees	Nablus District Yizhar settlement	The settlers of Yizhar
20-Oct-00	O – Attacking the Palestinian citizen Nader Slimat	Ramallah District – Maale Mikhmas settlement	The settlers of Maale Mikhmas
20-Oct-00	O – Continue to impose a tightened siege and posted roadblocks, in addition to impose a curfew	Hebron District – Old City	The Israeli occupation forces
21-Oct-00	O – The curfew imposed on the city caused numerous losses for 40,000 citizens and prevented 12,000 students from reaching their schools.	Hebron District	The Israeli occupation authorities
21-Oct-00	O – Closing the entrances to and from the villages, and preventing the students and workers from reaching their schools, universities and works. Click for more	Ramallah District – Beit Sera village	The Israeli occupation authorities
21-Oct-00	O – Imposing a tightened siege on the city. Posting an Israeli roadblock with a checkpoint since the beginning of the uprising	Ramallah District – 'Atara village	The Israeli authorities
22-Oct-00	O – Continuing to impose a curfew for the third day consecutively. They erected new cement roadblocks on the roads.	Jericho District – Jordan Valley	The Israeli occupation authorities
23-Oct-00	R – Moving the Israeli roadblock from Wad Al Khalil to north of Tene settlement.	Hebron District – south of Adh Dahiriya village	The Israeli occupation authorities
24-Oct-00	U – Uprooting dozens of banana trees belonging to Palestinian citizens	Jericho District – The north of Jordan valley	The Israeli occupation authorities
26-Oct-00	O – Attacking a Palestinian house	Hebron District – Old City	Jewish settlers
26-Oct-00	E – Destroying wide areas of Palestinian land, and setting up a number of mobile houses on the confiscated land, as a preparation to expand Negohot settlement	Hebron District – Dura village (Khirbet Efqaqees hamlet)	The Israeli occupation bulldozers
26-Oct-00	C + U + D – Erecting new camps, uprooting the planted trees, demolishing the retaining walls, and closing the agricultural roads, in an attempt to seize more Palestinian lands	Hebron District – Maon outpost	Ultra-Orthodox Jewish settlers
27-Oct-00	O – Trying to return to the settlement outpost , south of Maon settlement.	Hebron District – Maon settlement	Jewish settlers
28-Oct-00	S – Preventing the villagers from reaching their lands in order to pick their olives. Click for more	Bethlehem District – Al khadr village	Israeli occuaption authorities & Jewish settlers
28-Oct-00	S – Destroying retaining walls belonged to Palestinian villagers	Bethlehem District – Al Khadr village ('Ein Qasees hamlet)	Israeli occuaption authorities & Jewish settlers
28-Oct-00	O –  Attacking Palestinian villagers	Nablus District – Beit Furik village	Jewish settlers
29-Oct-00	U –  Uprooting 500 olive trees	Nablus District – Qaryut village	The Israeli forces
29-Oct-00	U – Uprooting 15 olive trees	Qalqiliya District – Kafr Qaddum village	Jewish settlers
29-Oct-00	U – Choping down 150 olive tree	Nablus District – Burin village	The settlers
29-Oct-00	U – Cutting down 120 olive trees	Qalqiliya District – 'Izbat at Tabib & 'Isla villages	Jewish settlers
29-Oct-00	U – Burning of 300 olive trees	Nablus District – Salfit village	Israeli forces
29-Oct-00	U – Uprooting more than 30 olive trees	Nablus District – Deir Istiya village	Jewish settlers
29-Oct-00	U – Uprooting more than 50 olive trees	Nablus District – Haris village	Jewish settlers
29-Oct-00	O – Closing all the entrances of Yatta village	Hebron District – Yatta village	The Israeli authorities
30-Oct-00	O – Throughout  last week, frequent attacks took place against Palestinian villagers while they were picking their olive crops; Click for more	Ramallah District – Al Mazra'a al Qibliya village	The settlers of Talmon
30-Oct-00	S – Bulldozing wide areas of agricultural lands and orchards planted with citrus trees	Jericho District – Al 'Auja village	The Israeli occupation forces
30-Oct-00	D – Demolishing a Palestinian cottage and bulldozing the main sluice for 'Ein al 'Auja spring	Jericho District – Al 'Auja village	The Israeli occupation forces

 

Source: compiled from local newspapers, interviews and field survey.

S = Seizure; i.e. confiscation, eviction, occupation and any sort of asset grabbing
E = Expansion; i.e. any increase in land occupied by Israelis.
C = Construction; i.e. any increase in Israeli built-up areas.
R = Roads; i.e. any increase in the road network.
D = Demolition; i.e. any destruction of Palestinian assets.
U = Uprooting trees.
P = Plans
O = Other.

Jerusalem District

For background information on Jerusalem click here. Field workers documented the following violations in the Jerusalem area between the months of August and October2000:

• On 5/8/2000 plans were prepared for the establishment of an Old Testament Garden on the Mount of Olives. Engineer Areeh Rahameemov developed such plans.

•  On 5/8/2000 plans were developed for the establishment of a new jail in the Arab neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem. The lands upon which the jail is planned to be established (29 dunums in area) were confiscated shortly after the 1967 war. It was part of a 354-dunum land that was confiscated despite the presence of its owner in the neighborhood since 1918. The jail is intended to be a replacement of the jail that is present now in West Jerusalem's Russian Compound which is considered to be yet another step in the Judaization of the Arab side of the divided Holy City. 

• On 15/8/2000 occupation heavy machinery demolished two houses in Silwad under the pretext that it was established without proper authorization on a piece of land that was reserved to be used a road in the Shi'ab Al Innab neighborhood. This action raised the number of demolished houses in 2000 to 12 up until this point in time. The first three-story house (area = 430 sq. m) belonged to Mr. Mohammad Naeem Al Tawil while the second house (area = 80 sq. m) belonged to Mr. Jamal Yihya Idkaidek. 

•  On 19/8/2000 Israeli Jerusalem Municipality (IJM) declared that it plans to build a hotel on a piece of land it claims that it owns in Qadroon Valley where the fruit and vegetable market currently stands.

• On 19/8/2000 the IJM announced its plans to establish a Jewish cultural center called Haiem Roses next to Bab Al Sahira inside the walls of the Old City. The settlement movement Aterete Cohanim claims that it has the deed to the land upon which the center is to be established. 

•  On 19/8/2000 relevant Israeli authorities gave the green light for the establishment of four housing unit in Beit Jibreel in the Christian Quarter.

• On 19/8/2000 work started on 178 new housing units in Ras Al Amoud settlement.

• On 20/8/2000 plans were revealed for the establishment of 200 new housing units on a 35-dunum piece of land owned by Dr. Irvin Moskovitch near Abu Dies. The new Jewish neighborhood will be titled Kirman Tzion.

• On 20/8/2000 colonizing activity in the Old City continued as the Saint John Hotel in the Christian Quarter was renamed as Taoon David Place where ten Jewish families are currently residing.

• On 20/8/2000 new Jewish families arrived at Beit Warso in the Muslim Quarter. The number of families planned to live in this place is about 60 families in addition to Yeshiva students. It is worth mentioning that the number of Jewish settlers living in the Muslim Quarter is about a thousand most of which are living on the road connecting between Damascus Gate and Al Buraq Wall. 

• On 25/8/2000 witnessed another attempt by the Israel Land Authority to takeover a piece of land owned by the Orthodox Church despite the discovery of the forgery of the Patriarch's signature. 

• On 30/8/2000 IJM bulldozed three Arab houses under heavy military protection. The demolishing took place in the area of Ras Khamees in Shu'fat refugee camp under the pretext of building without proper permission. The houses belonged to Mr. Ahamd Al Zaghary, Mr. Mohammad Khaleel Abu Ghalia and Mr. Ibraheem Ali Saleh Alqam. It is worth mentioning that house demolishing in this area aims at preventing Palestinian natural growth and expansion and to allow the spreading out of the nearby Jewish settlements on the expenses of Palestinian presence in the Holy City. 

•  On 31/8/2000 the families of Abdo and Mohammad Suleiman Karshan were informed that they should evacuate their houses.

• On 2/9/2000 Mr. Fathi Al Ja'abary and Mr. Fawzy Khaleel Al Ja'oony sued both the Israel Land Authority and Jewish Neighborhood Renovation and Development Company over their intention to confiscate the bakery owned by the two misters. The bakery is located in the street leading to the Chain Door in the Old City.

• On 5/9/2000 Barak's government made public its intension of building tens of thousands of housing units in Jerusalem and the linkage between the settlement of Ma'ale Adumim and Jerusalem. The goal behind this building frenzy is to create more facts on the ground with a substantial increase of Jewish population while keeping Arab population at bay.

• On 9/9/2000 Aterete Cohanim members tried to evict a Palestinian lady from her apartment in the same building that Likud Chairman Ariel Sharon took over another apartment during the 1987 Intifada. The eviction attempt came under the pretext that the lady did not live in that apartment in the past few years.

• On 15/9/2000 Israeli military forces demolished water canals in addition to four resting areas on a land in Al Essawyah village in preparation for its confiscation. 

• On 23/9/2000 Barak's government approved the creation of the Ring Road which is planned to encircle the Holy City from the east and is designed to separate between Arab and Israeli areas. The Road is planned to engulf 1070 dunums of Palestinian lands in occupied Jerusalem. Tens of Palestinians were informed that their land would be confiscated in order to complete the Road.

• On 30/9/2000 actual land confiscation steps were taken on the ground to implement the Ring Road scheme.

• On 1/10/2000 Jewish fundamentalists burnt down an old mosque located at Shitraws Road in West Jerusalem.

• On 1/10/2000 a group of Old City Jewish settlers accompanied with Border Guards and members of the Israeli police tried to takeover the house of the late Hajj Dawood Khaleel Abu Farha. The attempt resulted in the apprehension of the brothers Nasser al Dein and Salah Abu Farha while trying to prevent the takeover.

• On 21/10/2000 four more Aterete Cohanim families took residence in a new colonial spot next to Al Sahira Door in the Old City.

• On 21/10/2000 Barak's government declared its intension to build yet a new colonial neighborhood in Neve Yaqoob settlement located to the north of East Jerusalem.

• On 26/10/2000 Barak's government gave the green light to Jewish settlers to re-occupy illegal sporadic colonial spots and posts they have evacuated at the beginning of Mr. Barak's rein in power.     

• On 27/10/2000 Mr. Barak gave relevant Israeli authorities unlimited capabilities to expand existing Jewish settlements. 

•  On 28/10/2000 Hebrew sources indicated the intention of the Israeli Army to spend NIS 25 million (~ US$ 6.5 million) to increase security in and around Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

The Gaza Strip

For background information on the Gaza Strip click here.  The violations committed by Israeli occupation forces and settlers in the Gaza Strip throughout the period between August and October, 2000 are detailed below :

 

• On 8/8/2000 Israeli forces confiscated a 50-dunum land close to the military checkpoint in Rafah city. Agricultural greenhouses were established atop the land that is located in parallel to the road leading into the city of Rafah. 

• On 25/8/2000 tens of Jewish settlers uprooted hundreds of olive, palm and Guava trees in Khan Yunis. 10 new housing units in the settlements of Jani Tall, Gush Qateef and Neve Dakaleem, replaced the trees. Among those affected by such actions was Mr. Othman Al Astal who suffered the uprooting of 50 of his Guava and palm trees, and Mr. Na'eem Hassan Al Agha who witnessed the uprooting of more than 200 of his Guava, palm and olive trees.    

• On 9/9/2000 Israeli occupation forces continued the expansion of the settlement of Illi Sabtai located to the north of the city of Beit Lahia. The expansion took place as settlers moved the existing barbwires surrounding the settlement 40 meters in the direction of Palestinian-owned lands. A new military position was also added to the settlement at its southern end.

• On 11/9/2000 Palestinian citizens rose against tens of settlers who tried to forcefully capture a piece of land owned by the municipality of Khan Yunis close the settlement of Kfar Yam. Verbal and physical attacks were exchanged between both sides. 

• On 11/10/2000 two bulldozers belonging to the settlement of DoGheit, located to the north of Beit Lahia, bulldozed the lands of Mr. Anwar Al Aakah, Mr. Mohammad Al Jidbah, Mr. Abood Al Ghaboon in addition to Mr. Zuhdi Abu Amsha.

• On 12/10/2000 occupation bulldozers uprooted hundreds of fruitful trees in addition to tons of the potato produce next to the settlement of DoGheit. Greenhouses in the area were also destroyed.

• On 15/10/2000 a number of Kfar Darom settlers set a huge quantity of wood ablaze in Deir Al Balah. They also engulfed a warehouse owned Mr. Khaleel Bashir while settlers prevented Palestinians from trying to put the fire out. 

• On 20/10/2000 Israeli bulldozers uprooted about 1500 orange and olive trees next to the Gush Qateef settlements crossroad located to the north of Khan Yunis. In addition, huge tracks of land that belonged to the families of Al Farra and Abdeen, located parallel to Al Shuhada Street that leads to the flour company, were also bulldozed. Moreover, more than 600 orange trees belonging to Mr. Sa'eb Mustafa al Farra were uprooted in addition to another 200 orange trees that belonged to Husam Al Dein Hassan Al Farra. Moreover, Israeli forces demolished a warehouse owned by Al Farra Company for Commercial Construction, which led to monetary losses in the amount of US$100,000.

• On 26/10/2000 Israeli occupation forces uprooted a great number of olive trees planted on a 25-dunum piece of land next to the settlement of Morag to the east of Rafah District. Ten more dunums that were planted with green pepper were also damaged. Additional damage included the destruction of a water well, an electricity generator, watering system, 15 potato-filled dunums, tens of olive trees, in addition to three fig trees and the electricity network in the District.

• On 27/10/2000 Israeli forces demolished three commercial shops atop of its commercial goods causing, in the process, a loss of 100% to the Palestinian owners of the shops. In addition, these forces destroyed a site for the National Security and another site for the District Coordination Office and threatened to demolish an additional 30 houses close by. 

• On 28/10/2000 Israeli occupation forces bulldozed about 6 dunums located parallel to the main road connecting Rafah to Khan Yunis between the crossroad of Morag settlement and the crossroad of Gush Qateef..

• On 29/10/2000 Israeli occupation forces confiscated 30 dunums of Palestinian governmental land in Beit Lahia for the purpose of expanding the DoGheit settlement from the eastern and southern directions.  

In Depth Analysis of Key Events

A Survey of Jewish settlements in the West Bank

The West Bank is a landlocked geographic entity created as a consequence of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. The borders demarcating the West Bank are those appearing in the maps of the 1949 Armistice agreement signed by the Arab states and Israel.  In 1967 Israel occupied the West Bank annexing East Jerusalem while treating the rest of it as 'Administered Territories'. The international community, however, does not recognize Israel's annexation and refers to the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) as the Occupied Territories. The land area of the West Bank is 5661 km2 and its Palestinian population in 1997 was 1,873,476 (PCBS, 1998.)  It includes 642 Palestinian built-up areas comprising 367.7 km2 (GIS database, ARIJ, 1999.) see map

However in the West Bank and East Jerusalem there are over 270 Israeli built up areas (that's excluding the military sites) covering an area of 149.8 km2 (GIS database, ARIJ, 1999).   Yet, Israel recognizes only 124 as independent municipal bodies. Israeli sources consider those Jewish built-up areas in East Jerusalem as neighborhoods of the municipal Jerusalem and not as separate Jewish settlements.  Currently the settlers number around 340,000 of which 170,000 are in East Jerusalem alone.

	Area in km2	Percentage of West Bank Land
Palestinian built-up areas in the West Bank	367.7	6%
Jewish settlements in the West Bank	149.8	3%
Israeli  Military Base	37.7	1%
Closed Military Area	999.1	18%
Land Area of The West Bank	5661

Source: ARIJ database, 1999.

The preceding table shows how Israel managed, in 30 years of occupation, to create half as much built up area in the West Bank as the Palestinians have in 5000 years. Through land confiscation  and expropriation, Israel managed to grab over 30% of the West Bank for exclusive Jewish use. Jewish settlements in the West Bank are scattered all over. However successive Israeli governments have encouraged the development of specific blocks more than others.  Notably, the focus has been on the following areas:

• The Jerusalem area to create demographic barricades in front of any Arab claims to it,

• Along the West Bank's western edges so as to make the return to the 1967 borders practically impossible,

• The Jordan valley for its presumed importance to Israel's security as well as for its agricultural value.

The settlements vary in size. Some are big and have acquired city status (e.g. Arial, adjacent to the Palestinian town of Salfit; see photo) while others are small and amount to no less than a few caravans and a water tank (e.g. Magen David, south of the Palestinian village of Yatta; see photo). The great majority of settlements are situated in militarily strategic locations (e.g. Ariel has a strategic view over the Jordan Valley and the North). Some of the settlements overlook major Palestinian towns (e.g. Psagot over Ramallah; see photo ). In fact, all major Palestinian towns have at least one (if not more) settlements overlooking or adjacent to them; see map .  Starting from north we find:

  

Palestinian Town	Adjacent Jewish settlements	Population	Area in Dunums	Notes
Jenin	Gannim	130	367	See photo
	Kaddim	146	201	See photo
Nablus	Bracha	547	291	See photo
	Elon Moreh	1124	882
Tulkarem	Avnei Hefetz	350	810
Qalqiliya	Alfei Menashe	5000	1346
	Zufin	606	227
Salfit	Ariel	15000	4010	See photo
Jericho	Vered Yeriho	187	836	See photo
Ramallah & Al-Bireh	Bet El	3340	809
	Psagot	910	606	See photo
Jerusalem	Maale Adumim	21000	3670	See photo
	and over twelve other settlements within and around the Holy City
Bethlehem	Gilo	30200	3180	See photo
	Har Gilo	350	403	See photo
	Abu Ghnaim (Har Homa)
Hebron	H2
	Haggai	247	277	See photo
	Kiryat Arba	5500	542	See photo
	Ramat Mamre (Kharsine)		236

Source: ARIJ database, 1999. 

Furthermore, the growth of settlements is mainly geared to the formation of blocks; i.e. they grow outwards and towards each other; see photo.  The end result of such a growth is the grouping of Palestinian towns and villages into three or four cantons.  Indeed, the Israeli intention is to make the contiguity of any Palestinian State in the future practically unattainable; see map.  

 

 

More recently, and in the wake of the Al-Aqsa intifada, Israel put checkpoints all over the West Bank in order to 'contain' the Palestinians. Ostensibly, these checkpoints were placed to provide settlers and Israeli vehicles with safe passages while travelling in the West Bank. However these checkpoints have encircled Palestinian towns to the point of suffocation; see map . The sieges have affected basic supplies of food and fuel in some areas of the West Bank especially those that are isolated or have tight Israeli control around them; see case study . Moreover the daily life of ordinary Palestinians was also disrupted by the fact that traveling within the West Bank became severely restricted and hence people could not reach their places of employment; see case study. All that was in order to ensure the safety of over 350000 Jewish settlers residing in the West Bank.

 

These settlements are a major obstacle to the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Yet all Israeli governments have contributed to the building and expansion of Jewish settlements.  ALL Israeli settlements in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and Gaza Strip are illegal according to International Law. Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention specifically states that: 'The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies'.

 

Prepared by:  
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem