It was published on Haaretz daily newspaper on the 22ed of May 2006 that the Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz has approved the decision made by his predecessor Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz to expand four Israeli settlements located in the West Bank. The settlements are Oranit, south of Qalqilyia city, Betar Illit west of Bethlehem city, Giv'at Ze'ev in Jerusalem and Maskiyot in the Jordan Valley. Below is a brief description of each of the four settlements slated for expansion.

 

1- Giv'at Zeev settlement bloc

Giv'at Ze'ev settlement was established in 1982 and expanded over the years on the lands of Al Jib village and Betuniya town. It is one of the largest Israeli settlements in the West Bank and one of the six settlements comprising the Giv'at Ze'ev bloc (Beit Horon, Beit Horon B, Giv'at Ze'ev, Giv'at Hadasha, Giv'at Hadasha B, Giv'on, Mevaseret Zion, Har Adar, Neve Sameul). See map of location

 

Table 1: Israeli Settlements comprising the Giv'at Ze've Bloc.

Settlement Name	Establishment  Date	AREA 2005 (in dunums)
Givat Hadasha	1980	313
Givat Hadasha B	1991	64
Beit Horon	1977	330
Beit Horon B	1977	306
Givat Zeev	1982	2856
Givon	1978	118
Neve Shamual	1996	384
Har Adar (Givat HaRadar)	1986	1193
Mevaseret Tsiyon	0	257
Total		5821

Source: ARIJ – GIS Database 2005

 

Giv'at Zeev settlement area is 2856 dunums and houses a total population of 10,790 Israeli settlers; whereby, the total area of Giv'at Zeev settlement bloc is 5821 dunums and houses a total population of more than 12000 Israeli settlers.

 

Over the past couple of years, the Giv'at Zeev settlement has witnessed an increase in area on the expense of the neighboring Palestinian villages.  Table 2 below shows expansion occurred according to the analysis conducted by the Applied Research Institute â?? Jerusalem.

 

Table 2: Expansion at Giv'at Ze'ev settlement

Years of Expansion	Settlement Name
Giv'at Ze'ev
Expansion 2004-2005	17
Expansion 2003-2004	328
Expansion 2002-2003	0

 

Images below clearly shows the expansion that occurred during the past few years in the settlement of Giv'at Ze'ev.

 

 

 

2. Betar Illit settlement

As for the settlement of Betar Illit, the Chief Commander of the Israel Defense Forces in Judea & Samaria, Ya'er Naveh has signed a military order authorizing the expansion of the settlement 'municipal boundaries'  by 500 dunums. The decision to expand the settlement 'was also made by former defense minister Shaul Mofaz and was later endorsed by his successor, Amir Peretz.' Quoted from Haaretz Newspaper May 22, 2006. (IDF authorizes expansion of four West Bank settlements)

 

Betar Illit settlement is located to the southwest of Jerusalem city and is one of eleven settlements comprising the Gush Etzion settlements bloc (Allon Shevut, Bat Ayin, Efrat, Elazar, Gev'ot, Hadar Betar, Kfar Etzion, Migdal Oz, Neve Daniel, Rosh Tzurim, and Kfar Etzion- Nahal and Betar Illit). See Table 3 below

 

	Israeli settlement	Date of Est.	Governorate	Area-2004 (Dunum)	Population 2005
1.	Allon Shevut	1971	Bethlehem	1003	3300
2.	Betar Illit	1985	Bethlehem	4686	26300
3.	Efrat	1979	Bethlehem	2180	7300
4.	Elazar	1975	Bethlehem	536	1100
5.	Gav'aot	1984	Bethlehem	135	120
6.	Hadar Betar	1978	Bethlehem	58	30
7.	Neve Daniyyel	1982	Bethlehem	584	1400
8.	Rosh Zurim	1969	Bethlehem	893	298
9.	Beit 'Ayn	1989	Hebron	666
10.	Kfar Etzion – Nahal	1967	Hebron	1133	416
11.	Migdal 'Oz	1977	Hebron	926	313
	Total			12800	40577

Source: ARIJ GIS Database 2005

 

 

The settlement lays on 4686 dunums of lands originally owned by Palestinian residents from Husan and Wadi Fukin. Today, it is a home to 26300 Israeli settlers.

 

During the last couple of years, satellite images showed an increase in the Settlement's area, which dramatically affected the surrounding Palestinian communities who lost yet additional areas of their cultivated lands, which were confiscated to expand the settlement's area. Table 4 below shows the expansions occurred during the period between 2002 and 2005.

 

Table 4: Betar Illit Settlement Expansion
Expansion Period	Betar Illit
Expansion 2002-2003	885
Expansion 2003-2004	498
Expansion 2004-2005	26
Total	1410

Source: ARIJ GIS Database 2005

 

In addition, hundreds of new housing units were added to the settlement in the last couple of years, which contributed to the expansion of the settlement vertically and horizontally. Table 5 below shows chronologically published tenders issued for new housing units in Betar Illit Settlement.

 

Year	Number of units	Source
2003	3200	Quds (July 2, 2003)
	530	Arabynet+ Haaretzdaily (October 2, 2003).
2004	604	Arabynet (Aug 17, 2004).
	118 (plans)	Arabynet (Aug 17, 2004).
	600	Quds (Apr 3, 2004).
2005	400	Quds (Jun 20, 2005).
	72	Haaretz (Aug 4, 2005).
2006	5000	Quds (Jan 18, 2006).
Total	10524

Source: ARIJ Monthly Reports (2003-2005)

See images of settlement expansion during the period between 2000 and 2005.

 

 

 

 

3. Oranit Settlement

Oranit settlement is located south of Qalqilyia city (northwest of the West Bank), on the 1949 Armistice Line (the Green Line). The settlement was established in 1983 on 1289 dunums of lands originally owned by Palestinians from Siniriya and Kafr Thulth. Today the settlement is a home to 5316 Israeli settlers.

 

 

 

4. Maskiyot settlement

Maskiyot, is a military training area located east of Tubas city in the northern Valleys (northeast of the West Bank). It was established in 1987 and has a total area of 18 dunums. The Israeli Minister of Defense Amir Peretz agreed to expanding this training site to settle in 30 Jewish families evacuated in August 2005 from Shirat Hayam settlement; formally located west of Khan Yunis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. The decision to settle 30 Jewish families in Maskiyot military training area is a first step to in turning yet another military site into a settlement with enough potential to accommodate more Israeli families to come and settle in, in the near future.

 

Israeli Settlements growing Vertically

Not only have Israeli settlements have been expanding horizontally but also vertically, 'reinforcing' the existence of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian Territory. In an Analysis conducted by the Applied Research Institute â?? Jerusalem shows that during the period between, the Israeli government issued dozens of tenders to construct thousands of new housing units in West Bank Israeli settlements. Table 6 below details the Israeli Tenders issued for new housing units in West Bank Settlements between January 2003 and June 2006.

 

Settlement	Governorate	Number of Housing Units	Source
Ras Al Amoud	Jerusalem	68	Quds (March 17, 2003)
Ras Al Amoud – Ma'ale Adumim police headquarter	Jerusalem	51	Quds (Sep 4, 2005)
Bat-Gilo in Beit Safafa	Jerusalem	200	Quds (Aug 21, 2004).
Al â??Esawiya and Hebrew University	Jerusalem	1500	Quds+ Al Ayam (Aug 6, 2004)
French Hill	Jerusalem	300	Quds (March 22, 2003)
Old City of Jerusalem	Jerusalem	30	Wafa (Jul 26, 2005).
Al Sheikh Jarrah – Jerusaelm	Jerusalem	90	Wafa (Nov 3, 2005).
Ramat Shlomo	Jerusalem	1960	Quds (May 27, 2006).
Jabal Al Mukabbir	Jerusalem	203	Quds (Jul 17, 2004)
Har Homa	Bethlehem	108	Quds (March 1, 2003)
	Bethlehem	78	Quds  (August 15, 2003)
	Bethlehem	700	Quds (Apr 3, 2004)
	Bethlehem	150	Arabynet (Aug 23, 2004).
	Bethlehem	500	Quds (Aug 27, 2005).
Modi'in Illit	Ramallah	10000	Quds (April 21, 2003)
	Ramallah	750	Arabs48+ Haaretz (Dec 14, 2005).
Ma'ale Adumim	Jerusalem	500	Quds (May 24, 2003)
	Jerusalem	3500	Quds (June 21, 2003)
	Jerusalem	4281	Quds (July 2, 2003)
	Jerusalem	11	Haaretzdaily (October 2, 2003)
	Jerusalem	200	Quds (Apr 3, 2004)
	Jerusalem	141	Arabynet (Aug 17, 2004).
	Jerusalem	600	Al Quds (Aug 3, 2004).
	Jerusalem	2100	Arabs48+Arabynet (Feb 25, 2005).
	Jerusalem	22	Wafa (Apr 19, 2005).
	Jerusalem	300	Quds (Jun 20, 2005).
	Jerusalem	350	Wafa (Nov 17, 2005).
	Jerusalem	200	Haaretz (Dec 14, 2005).
	Jerusalem	500	Quds (Jan 18, 2006)
Betar Illit	Bethlehem	3200	Quds (July 2, 2003)
	Bethlehem	530	Haaretzdaily (October 2, 2003)
	Bethlehem	600	Quds (Apr 3, 2004)
	Bethlehem	604	Arabynet (Aug 17, 2004).
	Bethlehem	500	Arabs48+Arabynet (Feb 25, 2005).
	Bethlehem	400	Quds (Jun 20, 2005).
	Bethlehem	72	Haaretz (Aug 4, 2005).
	Bethlehem	150	Wafa (Dec 26, 2005).
	Bethlehem	2000	Quds (Jan 18, 2006).
	Bethlehem	118	Arabynet (Aug 17, 2004).
Tzur Hadasa	Hebron	1360	Quds (July 2, 2003)
	Hebron	300	Quds (Apr 3, 2004)
Adam (Givâ??at Beniamen)	Jerusalem	1512	Wafa (August 1, 2003)
	Jerusalem	132	Arabynet (Aug 17, 2004).
	Jerualem	130	Quds (Apr 3, 2004)
	Jerualem	134	Arabynet (Aug 23, 2004).
	Jerusalem	200	Arabs48+Arabynet (Feb 25, 2005).
Pisgat Ze'ev	Jerusalem	1055	Wafa (August 1, 2003)
	Jerusalem	48	Arabynet (Aug 23, 2004)
	Jerusalem	132	Arabs48+Arabynet (Feb 25, 2005).
Efrat	Bethlehem	102	Quds (Sep 5, 2003).
	Bethlehem	100	Quds (Apr 3, 2004)
	Bethlehem	78	Wafa (Dec 26, 2005).
	Bethlehem	99	Arabynet (Aug 17, 2004).
	Bethlehem	750	Quds (Jan 18, 2006)
	Bethlehem	24	Haaretzdaily (October 2, 2003)
West of Ariel	Salfit	300	Wafa (Aug 8, 2004).
Ariel	Salfit	3000	Arabs48+ Quds (Sep 5, 2005).
Neighborhood B in Ariel	Salfit	214	Arabynet (Aug 17, 2004).
Ariel	Salfit	128	Arabynet (Aug 17, 2004).
Ariel	Salfit	117	Wafa+ Peace Now (Dec 19, 2005).
Ariel	Salfit	40	Haaretz (Dec 14, 2005).
	Salfit	350	Quds (Jan 18, 2006)
Karne Shamron	Qalqilyia	153	Quds+ Al Ayam (Oct 24, 2003)
	Qalqilyia	42	Arabynet (Aug 17, 2004).
	Qalqilyia	20	Wafa+ Peace Now (Dec 19, 2005).
Nov Zahav		550	Quds (Nov 15, 2003)
Kharisena	Hebron	144	Quds (Jan 6, 2004)
	Hebron	20	Al Ayam (Feb 23, 2004).
	Hebron	156	Arabynet (Aug 17, 2004).
Har Gilo	Bethlehem	100	Haaretz (Aug 23, 2004).
	Bethlehem	200	Arabynet (Aug 23, 2004).
	Bethlehem	35	Arabs48+Arabynet (Feb 25, 2005).
Elkana	Salfit	90	Arabs48+Arabynet (Feb 25, 2005).
	Salfit	50	Wafa (Apr 19, 2005).
	Salfit	54	Ma'an news (Jun 13, 2006).
Alon Shevut	Bethlehem	24	Arabs48+Arabynet (Feb 25, 2005).
Nof Hhasharoun		1200	IPC. (December 4, 2005)
Zufim	Qalqilyia	2100	PEACENOW + Quds + Wafa (Dec 29, 2004).
	Qalqilyia	450	Quds (Jan 18, 2006)
Sal'it	Tulkarem	200	PEACENOW + Quds + Wafa (Dec 29, 2004).
Tel Al Rumeida	Hebron	16	Quds (April 22, 2003)
Planned Givâ??at Yaâ??el	Bethlehem	13200	Al Ayam+ ARIJ (Jun 12, 2004)
Nikodim	Bethlehem	2500	Quds+ Al Ayam (Jun 16, 2004)
Beit 'Ayn	Hebron	56	Quds+ Al Ayam (Jun 16, 2004)
Kfar Etzion	Hebron	250	Quds+ Al Ayam (Jun 16, 2004)
Shaked, Rehan and Mevo Dotan		250	Al Ayam (Jul 26, 2004)
Emmanuel	Qalqilyia	98	Arabynet (Aug 23, 2004).
Har Adar	Jerusalem	101	Arabynet (Aug 23, 2004).
Gilo	Bethlehem	36	Arabynet (Aug 23, 2004).
'Ein Illit		1500	Arabs48+Arabynet (Feb 25, 2005).
'Etz Efrayim	Jordan Valley	240	Arabs48+Arabynet (Feb 25, 2005).
Qiyat Arba'	Hebron	156	Quds (Apr 3, 2004)
Jordan Valley	Jordan Valley	50	Quds (Jan 7, 2004)
Givâ??at Zeev	Jerusalem	180	Quds+ Al Ayam (Oct 24, 2003)
Kadmout Tzion	Jerusalem	230	Quds (May 30, 2003)
Jenout Beit Ill	Ramallah	72	Quds (May 08, 2003)
Total		72395

Source: ARIJ Monthly Reports January 2003-July 2006

The governorates of Ramallah, Bethlehem, Salfit and Jerusalem were the four governorates, which witnessed the most expansions in the number of housing units; whereby, the settlements of Modi'n Illit, Betar Illit, Ariel and Maâ??ale Adumim were the four settlements with the highest number of new housing units.

 

The International Legal Status of the Israeli settlements

The existence thus the expansion of Israeli settlements is illegal and contradictory with international laws, such as:

 

UNSC Resolution 452: 'Calls upon the Government and people of Israel to cease, on an urgent basis, the establishment, construction and planning of settlements in the Arab occupied Territory since 1967, including Jerusalem.'

 

Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949: 'the occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own population into the Territory it occupies.'

 

Furthermore, the Israeli decision to expand the settlements also violates the Roadmap signed on April 30, 2003, between Israel and the Palestinians (originally developed by the United States, in cooperation with Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations (the Quartet)) under which the Israeli Government agreed to freeze all settlement expansions. 

 

 

 

Prepared by
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
ARIJ