On the 22nd of September 2016, the so-called Israeli District Planning and Building Committee in the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem approved for deposit the Town Planning Scheme (TPS) 111203, to expand the illegal Israeli settlement of Ramot, north of Jerusalem city, toward Bir Nabala town.
The plan No. TPS 111203 calls for the construction of a school, kindergarten, synagogue, and sports facilities on an area of 6.5 dunums of land at the northern part of the settlement. See the image No.1 & 2
The main objective of the plan TPS 111203 are the development of the “ Harry Turman Street” and setting new uses for the land to build kindergarten, school, a sport hall, synagogue and yeshiva. For the existing buildings in the area, the Israeli Authorities will demolish these buildings to pave the way for the construction of 4 new buildings ( each building consists from 2 floors).
Furthermore, the new expansion will take place in an area adjacent to land designated for the construction of 201 housing units under the TPS 192815, which was approved for deposits on the month of August 2015. See the image No. 3.
It is worth pointed that the TPS 192815 aims to construct 201 housing units on 12 dunums of land, at the northern part of Ramot settlement.
A geopolitical analysis conducted by the Geo-informatics Department at the Applied Research institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ), showed that the new construction will take place at the northern part of Ramot settlement and adjacent to the path of the Israeli Segregation wall, and within the border of the illegal Israeli Settlement of Ramot. See the map below
All over the years of the Israeli Occupation, the Israeli Authorities seek to establish and expand the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory including East Jerusalem. A report published by the Applied Research Institute- Jerusalem (ARIJ) showed the future expansion plan that will take place in the Israeli settlement of Ramot.
For more information about this report, check the link below:
Expediting expansion in Ramot settlement northwest of Jerusalem
The Israeli settlement of Ramot
Ramot is an illegal Israeli settlement located northwest of Jerusalem city, established on 1973 on private Palestinian lands. The settlement of Ramot total area reach to 3,408 dunums of land. The settlement inhabited by 47,026 Israeli Settlers.
To sum up
The Israeli construction and expansion for the Illegal settlements and their outposts contradicts with the International law rules and conventions:-
Under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of, December 10, 1948, Article 17 reads: 'No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.' Which means it bans Israel from destroying or confiscating the property of the Palestinians at any case.
Moreover, articles 53 & 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 indicated that: Extensive destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly. is a grave breach of the Convention.
Also Art. 23 of the Hague Convention of 1907 also provides: In addition to the prohibitions provided by special Conventions, it is especially forbidden to destroy or seize the enemy's property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war.
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”.
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).
Prepared By
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
ARIJ
