Violation: expansion works and residential units’ construction

Location:  Nablus governorate

Date:  November 2015

Perpetrators: Council of Settlements in the West Bank

Victims:  a big number of farmers

Details:

Shilo colony, which is founded on confiscated lands from Nablus, has been lately undergoing expansion activities. Ravaging lands and constructing new colonial units were noted to be carried out in the buffer zone of Shilo. This is done to re-organize the infrastructure to accommodate more colonists in the area.

According to the date of Land Research Center, the intensity of the expansion works is focused in the southeastern side of Shilo. More than 45 dunums of confiscated lands on the claim of security purposes were ravaged for the sake of developing the infrastructure of the colony to accommodate more colonists.

In the same context, the Council of Settlements in the West Bank continues building colonial units inside the southern borders of the colony where preparation for 12 new units was noted. That number is reported to increase if the ravaging area increases.

This step comes in reference to a tender to build 91 units that was issued on the beginning of November 2015. Many bids and tenders took place before as part of the plan aiming at pining down the colonization and taking over vast areas of the West Bank.

 

Photos 1-2: Shilo colony

 

About Shilo:

It is located east Ramallah city with a population of 2300 colonists (2011). The colony totals 1364 dunums in area (Foundation for Middle East Peace, 2011).

Shilo is edged by the villages of Jalud, Qaryut from the north, Turmus’ayya town from the south, Mizpe Rahel colony from the east and a number of outposts and Male Levona colony from the south.

Land Research Center sees Israel continuous expansion on colonies in the West Bank and Jerusalem at the expense of Palestinian and lands a flagrant violation of Human Rights and all international laws and conventions, which prohibit disposition of public properties in occupied countries.

UN Resolutions

UN Security Council Resolution 242 of 1967: calls for

• the Withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict;
• Termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force." [4]

UN Security Council Resolution 449 of 1979: the Security Council determined:

• "that the policy and practices of Israel in establishing settlements in the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967 have no legal validity and constitute a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East"

UN Security Council Resolution 452 of 1979: states that

• "the policy of Israel in establishing settlements in the occupied Arab territories has no legal validity and constitutes a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949"  and "calls upon the Government and people of Israel to cease, on an urgent basis, the establishment, construction and planning of settlements in the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem."

UN Security Council Resolution 465 of 1980:

• It expressed concern at Israeli settlement policy in the Arab territories and recalled resolutions 237 (1967), 252 (1968), 267 (1969), 271(1969) and 298 (1971). It further called upon the State and people of Israel to dismantle such settlements. The resolution calls on all states ‘not to provide Israel with any assistance to be used specifically in connection with settlements in the occupied territories’.

 

 

Prepared by
 The Land Research Center
LRC