• Violation: Building a new block in Shilo settlement.
• Location: Turmus’ayya lands north-west Ramallah.
• Perpetrator: Shilo settlement.
• Victims: The town’s farmers.

Description:

The Israeli constraining policy of expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank clearly aims to change the demo-graphical identity of the area and presenting fake historical identity to the world that gives a cold shoulder to the political reality in Palestine.

LRC field team reported that at the beginning of this February, the Israeli occupation finished building a colonial block in Shiloh settlement, which is built on confiscated lands from Turmus’ayya.

The new colonial block was built on natural block (4) on lands grabbed in 1982, in 2015 the Israeli occupation building and organizing committees ratified expanding “Shilo” settlement by establishing a green area and developing the infrastructure.

It is reported that the new colonial block has an area of 80 dunums and consists of 22 residential units in addition to the roads network there.

Bashar Al-Qaryuti, an activist in north Ramallah said that this is only an episode in the occupation’s series of land confiscation and colonial expansion, most Israeli settlements in the Jordan valley area are going under expansion, and several Israeli outputs are being legalized by the Israeli government.

The Israeli occupation continuous settlements expansion in the West Bank aims to transform Palestinian communities into besieged cantons.

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.

Photos 1-2: The new colonial block

Photos 3-4: Expansion happening at the settlement of shilo

About Turmus’ayya:

25 km to the north east of Ramallah city, Turmus’ayya  has a population of 3736 people (2007 census). Its total land area is 18139 dunums, of which 1350 dunums are considered built-up area. About 11218 dunums of  Turmus’ayya lands are classified as  Area B (PA is in charge of civil matters with Israel responsible of security) where 6921 dunums are classified as  Area C (Israel maintains full security and administrative control).

The Israeli occupation confiscated vast areas from the village for the benefit of the following colonies:

1. Shilo and Mizpe Rahel devoured 1023 dunums
2. Mizpe Rahel  devoured 706 dunums
3. The bypass road number 60 stole 12.5 dunums

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