Israeli Military Bases Consolidate Confiscation of Palestinian Land

Introduction

Israeli military bases had a significant role in the methodical Israeli premeditated strategy to create a reality that contravenes the international law.

Following the 1967 war, the Israeli occupation of Arab territories including the West Bank and the Gaza Stripe, ended registration process of Palestinians’ lands; this procedure started out during the British mandate era and continued during the Jordanian time. When Israel stopped the registration process, it did so under the pretext to protect the property rights of Palestinians’ absentees, which paved the way for next part of their scheme and that is to register all lands to the Israeli custodian of land property as to “state property” lands. Accordingly, much of the occupied territories came under the “state property” category and thus, allocation of these lands to build pure Jewish–Israeli settlements; signaled the outbreak of the Israeli settlements process in the West Bank and Gaza.

However, much of the established Israeli settlements during the first decade of occupation were built on lands that were originally seized by the Israeli Army under the pretext of “security needs”, before it was handed over to Israeli settlers’ control; once the Army had all infrastructure services installed to the site. The lands seized were privately owned lands; as to say that the Palestinians had original land deeds of the land, which puts an obligation on the Israeli Army to temporary hold the land for what ever period the “security need” requires, provided that the seize order be renewed every few years.  The term “security needs” means that the Israeli Army wants the targeted site/s to establish an Israeli military base and following the 1979 Alon Moreh case at the Israeli high court of justice ordered the Army to restore the land to its owners and not to Israeli settlers as such procedure do not conform with the Israeli Army’s claim that the settlement existence falls under the “security needs” category so as to the Israeli Army’s allegation.

From that point on, the “security needs” category was no longer operational, not until the time after the signing of the Oslo Accord in 1993 as the Israeli Army started using it again to establish the bypass road system to link the settlements together and with Israel so Israeli settlers may travel without having to enter Palestinian communities, in other matters, the Israeli Army exploited “security needs” order to establish security buffer zones around the illegally established settlements and during the years of this (second) Intifada to build the Segregation Wall.

Fortifying Baroukh Military Base – Hebron

The base was established in early 1990s on 50 Dunums seized from Palestinians in an area located between Kiryat Arba and Kharsina settlements east of Hebron city. The base provide protection to Israeli settlers constantly attacking and terrorizing Palestinians in the area; also to secure safe passage of Israeli settlers’ movements toward each other, or to Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi Mosque, or toward Israel. The Israeli military base also constitutes a lunching base of Israeli military operation in conjunction with other Israeli military bases in Hebron against Palestinian resistance and as a mean to carryout collective punishments against residents of Hebron.

Recently, Israeli settlers from the above mentioned Israeli settlements cooperated with Baroukhmilitary base to fortify and secure the base, which was secured with 6 meters concrete partitions encircling the base; similar to the Segregation Wall under construction in the West Bank. Furthermore, construction work on a road linking the military base with the bypass road #60 was started in parallel with the work to fortify the military base. On both tasks tens of Dunums of Palestinian lands were razed and leveled, trees were uprooted, all of which belong to the Palestinian-Hebronite Jaber family.

Israeli Military Bases in Hebron Governorate

In an analysis conducted by the GIS unit at the Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem showed that the Israeli military bases in Hebron Governorate occupy an area of 2125 dunums; all of which owned by Palestinians and were seized under the pretext of “security needs” by the Israeli Army.

Israeli Military Bases in West Bank Governorates

The Israeli military bases were established in the Palestinian Governorates following the 1967 war; as the Israeli Army made sure to allocate these bases all around the West Bank governorates: Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus, Tubas, Jericho and Salfit. The following table shows the areas occupied by the Israeli Army’s military bases in these governorates.

The above table clearly indicates that the concentration of Israeli military bases is along the Jordan Valley area; Tubas and Jericho Governorates where substantial areas were seized for the construction of military bases; in order to consolidate Israeli existence at that area where Israeli settlements and settlers least exist.  See Map of Military Bases in the West Bank

Israeli Military Bases isolated west of the Segregation Wall.

On April 30, 2006 the Israeli government approved a revised plan for the Segregation Wall in the West Bank. The new wall plan makes some small cosmetic changes in the route of the wall, but had no significant changes on the impacts of the wall; where much of the Palestinian lands and communities remained isolated and ghettoized by the Segregation Wall. Strip.

According to the revised plan, the Segregation Wall will run for 703 km in the West Bank.  When complete, the wall will isolate 555 km2 of P’lestinians' land in the West Bank (approximately 10% of the total area; 5661 km2) along the Western Segregation Zone between the wall and the 1949 Armistice Line (Green Line). Israel also maintains the Eastern Segregation Zone stretching along 200 Km cutting off 1664 km2 (29.4% of the West Bank) along the Jordan Valley and the western shores of the Dead Sea.  In total, the Segregation Plan isolated some 39.2% of the West Bank.. Israel also maintains the stretching along 200 Km cutting off 1664 km (29.4% of the West Bank) along the Jordan Valley and the western shores of the Dead Sea.  In total, the Segregation Plan isolated some 39.2% of the West Bank.

To Conclude

The Israel military bases add up burdens on the Palestinian communities as much as the Israeli settlements do; as they represented constant danger and threat to the lives of the Palestinians living nearby, of whom many have  died during the Israeli Army’s live target practices, or because of the discarded live ammunitions. 

Prepared by
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
ARIJ