“New Settlements Expansion Approved” Plans for 301 Housing Units in 7 Israeli Settlements

On the 14th of April 2016, the Israeli daily newspaper  revealed that the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, approved the a new plans for 301 housing units in 7 illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. According to the newspaper report, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister “Moshe Ya'alon” gave their okay to move forward with the construction of hundreds of housing units in several West Bank settlements.

The 301 housing units distributed on the following settlements as follows:-

Formal previous Israeli Construction Plans in the Settlement of Nekodim

Formal previous Israeli Construction Plans in the Settlement of Bitar ‘Illit

Formal previous Israeli Construction Plans in the Settlement of Bracha

Formal previous Israeli Construction Plans in the Settlement of Giv’at Ze’ev

Formal previous Israeli Construction Plans in the Settlement of Revava

Later on , and within few hours, the aforementioned newspaper published a statement claimed that  “ the Prime Minister's Office denied that Israel has approved hundreds of new housing units in West Bank settlements and said it merely okayed permits for home improvements”.

For the newspaper, the denial by Netanyahu concerning settlement construction is considered highly unusual. The reason behind the publishing of the statement seems to be the Palestinian effort to advance a UN Security Council resolution condemning the settlements and declaring them illegal.

Moreover, the newspaper added that Netanyahu is concerned that U.S. President Barack Obama will choose not to veto the Palestinian resolution if it is be brought to a vote. In the current atmosphere, declaring settlement construction could help the Palestinians gather support for their UN bid and may have an impact on Obama's decision whether to veto the measure.

Enormous Settlement Expansion Despite Israeli Denial

As a matter of fact , and  contrary to the allegations of the Israeli Prime Minister office, the Israeli related authorities, and since the beginning of the year 2016, formally deposited a plans to build 941 housing units  in 20 illegal settlement in West bank and east Jerusalem ( those include the construction of the 301 housing units in 6 Israeli settlements deposited on April 13, 2016 ):

Moreover , the Israeli Authorities approved 218 housing units in January , 253 housing units in February, 203 units in March and 267 in April 2016. It is worth pointed that this table includes the plans submitted for deposition and hearing since January 2016, while many of plans not included in the above table have been deposited in the last year and still processing on the procedures. (Plans and tenders for 1665 housing units submitted in the year 2015).

In a geopolitical analysis conducted by the Geo-informatics Department at ARIJ, the Arial photos below clearly show that construction site of the 54 housing units in Bracha settlement, and according to the deposited plan on April 13, 2016, will take place on an empty leveled piece of land which means that the aforementioned 54 housing units in the settlement will be newly constructed and not already exist contrary to the Israeli PM Office allegations!

Arial photo for Bracha settlement  2014-2015

It is worth pointed that the new approval of the construction of 301 housing units, targeted settlements outside the “Western Segregation area” (the area created after the construction of the Segregation wall, and its located between the path of the Segregation wall and the Green line), such as Nekodim and Tekoa settlements, which located east of the Israeli settlement bloc of “Gush Etzion”, and southeast of Bethlehem Governorate. While the Israeli settlement of Har Bracha located in the corridor area (the area created by the Israeli Authorities, and its links between the Eastern Segregation Zone and the Western Segregation Zone, and its located south of Nablus city.

On the other hand the rest Israeli settlements (Givat Ze’ev, Revava,  Ganei Modi'in neighborhood, Modi’in Illit) located in the Western Segregation Zone, and also each of the three settlements located within the Israeli settlements blocs. As for Givat Ze’ev settlement, which located north of Jerusalem city, and lies within the Israeli settlement bloc of “Givat Ze’ev”, while the Israeli settlement of Modi’in Illit, located west of Ramallah and Al Bireh governorate, and within the Israeli Settlement bloc of “Modi’in”.  And the Israeli settlement of Revava, located north of Salfit city, and within the Israeli settlement of “Arial”

To sum up

Israel is moving steadily toward fortifying its colonial and expansionist enterprise in all parts the oPt. The Israeli claims for “planning freeze” in the settlements, collides with the significant plans, tenders, construction that take place on the ground on a systematic manner.

The construction and expansion of the Israeli settlement in all parts of the occupied Palestinian territory including East Jerusalem are illegal and constitute a grave breach of the International law rules and conventions:-

 The existence of the Israeli settlements and outposts in the West Bank and their expansions are Illegal and contradicts with the international law rules, United Nations Security Council Resolutions such as 237 (1967), 271 (1969), 446 (1979), 452 (1979) ,465 (1980).

Resolution 446 March 22, 1979 calls on Israel to rescind its previous measures and to desist from taking any action which would result in changing the legal status and geographical nature and materially affecting the demographic composition of the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem and, in particular, not to transfer parts of its own civilian population into the occupied Arab territories"

Also the resolution 452 of the 1979 “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.”

Furthermore the Fourth Geneva Convention also states in Article 49 that “The occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own population into the territories it occupies.” and Article 174 of the same convention “prohibits the 'extensive destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly.”

In May 2001, the head of the International Red Cross delegation to Israel and the Occupied Territories said that settlements are "equal in principle to war crimes". (Note: "The transfer, the installation of population of the occupying power into the occupied territories is considered as an illegal move and qualified as a 'grave breach.' It's a grave breach, formally speaking, but grave breaches are equal in principle to war crimes", Rene Kosirnik, head of the ICRC delegation to Israel and the OPT, press conference 17 May 2001).

Article XXXI of the 1995 Oslo agreement Israelis forbidden from building or planning to any project or settlements or any colonial expansion or any plan that lead to change the status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The article provides “Neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations”.

Prepared by:  
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem