On the 25th of August 2016, the Israeli High Planning Council in the co-called Israeli Civil Administration published the building scheme No. 117/17, in the Al Quds Daily Newspaper, for the public review.
According to the aforementioned scheme published in Al Quds Newspaper, the Israeli Land Authority (ILA) will change the status of the land in the plot No. 4 part of Hareq Durs and Al Dhohor areas, and in the plot No. 1 part of Ar Rassif area in Kafr Laqif village, east of Qalqiliyah city, in addition the plot No. 11 part of Adh Dhahir area in Hajja village, east of Qalqiliyah city, for the expansion of Karni Shomron industrial area.. See the announcement. as its published in Al Quds Newspaper:
The Announcmenet details:
- Changing the plan No. 927/3 and S-15, which is located in the in the plot No. 4 part of Hareq Durs and Al Dhohor areas, and in the plot No. 1 part of Ar Rassif area in Kafr Laqif village, east of Qalqiliyah city, in addition to the plot No. 11 part of Adh Dhahir area in Hajja village, east of Qalqiliyah city.
- Location of the plan: within the border of the illegal Israeli settlement of Karni Shomron, at the eastern part of Qalqiliya Governorate.
- The objective of the plan: change the status of the land from agricultural area to industrial area, and area used for the construction of road networks, public and open areas.
According to the article No. 20/24 from the so-called“Israeli City planning” law for villages and buildings No. 79 for the year 1966, the Israeli settlement subcommittee of the Israeli Land Authority declared the deposit of the Town Planning Scheme (TPS) No. 117/17 in Karni Shomron settlement (the industrial area), changing the regional master plan S-15 and TPS No. 927/3. Below a photocopy for the TPS No. 927/3:
The Israeli Plan 117/17
On the 22nd of July 2015, the Israeli Civil Administration carried out a meeting where they discussed the Town Planning Scheme No. 117/17 for the industrial area in Karni Shomron settlement. According to the meeting the Israeli Authorities seek to establish new industrial factories on 28 dunums of land, north of the Israeli Bypass road No. 55, at the northern part of Karni Shomron settlement. Moreover, the Israeli Authorities will construct a new road network and public buildings in the aforementioned area. Photocopy of “Minutes of the meeting”
The illegal Israeli Settlement of Karni Shomron
Karni Shomron established on 1978 on Palestinian lands of Kafr Laqif, Hajja, Al-Funduq and Jinsafut villages in Qalqiliyah Governorate, and Deir Istiya in Salfit Governorate. Karni Shomron settlement area reach to 1042 dunums of land. The settlement inhabited by 6650 Israeli settlers.
The Israeli Segregation Wall plan annexes Karnei Shomron and settlements nearby to Israel
The latest update for the Israeli Segregation Wall route which was published on the so-called “Israeli Ministry of Defense” website in 2007 shows that the wall will surround the Israeli settlement of Karnei Shomron and a number of the nearby settlements: Ma’ale Shomron, Ginnot Shomron, Neve Oramin, Nofim, Yakir, Emmanuel, Mitzpe Yeshai, Kedumim, Giv’at Hamerkaziz and Kedumim Zefon. This will create the “Kedumim settlement bloc” (Kedumim finger) that the Israeli Authorities will annex it along with five other settlement blocs in the West Bank to Israel.
Israel targeted the Illegal Israeli settlement of Karni Shormon with a number of new expansion plan
The TPS No. 117/17 is not the first plan that published by the Israeli Authorities to expand Karni Shomron settlement . On the 1st of August 2016, the Ministry of Housing and Construction published plan for Karnei Shomron settlement in Qalqilyia Governorate showing an expansion to take place in the settlement in the coming time. The plan includes the building of a new residential neighborhood of 42 housing units. For more information about this case, click the link below: https://poica.org/details.php?Article=9718
To conclude
The existence of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and their expansions are Illegal and contradict with the international law, and most specifically United Nations Security Council Resolutions: 237 (1967), 271 (1969), 446 (1979), 452 (1979), and 465 (1980), among others.
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.”
The Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits an occupying power from transferring citizens from its own territory to the occupied territory (Article 49).
The Hague Regulations prohibit an occupying power from undertaking permanent changes in the occupied area unless these are due to military needs in the narrow sense of the term, or unless they are undertaken for the benefit of the local population.
Prepared By
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
ARIJ