- Violation: New inciting settlers’ activity; placing a tent on Salfit city entrance.
- Location: Salfit northern city entrance.
- Date: 18 March 2019.
- Perpetrator: a group of settlers.
- Victims: people of Salfit city.
- Description:
March 18th, a group of settlers placed an inciting tent on salfit northern city entrance.
Noteworthy, the tent is located on the area where the extremist Rabbi Ahia’ad Etegnar was killed, Etegnar used to inhabit in “Eli” settlement, and was a leader of “price tag” settlers’ gang, who are known of their break-ins and arson attacks on Palestinians in the suburb areas that are meant to terror and harass Palestinian citizens to push them out.
People of Salfit believe that this is may be the beginning of new series of attacks on Palestinians and their properties, or cornerstone of a new illegal outpost on the location.
Photos 1-2: The tent that was placed by settlers
Photo 3 : a view of Ariel settlement
In the same context, Israeli prime minister Netanyahu vowed , during his visit to the site where Etegnar was killed , that the construction of 840 new colonial units in Ariel settlement will begin in March 18th , the new project is expected to attract hundreds of young settlers families to the second largest Israeli settlement in west Bank.
About Ariel:[1]
It is one of the biggest colonies in size in Salfit governorate. The occupation gave it the title of “Capital of Samaria”. Ariel dates back to 1978; it is when the colony was established in the aftermath of Camp David agreement between Egypt and Israel.
The colony started on 500 confiscated dunums from Salfit city and Marda village to later seize 13775 dunums, of which 2479 dunums are the colony’s built-up area.
Ariel now accommodates a collage and a number of factories, hotels and residential blocs. Until 2005, its total population mounted up to 16520 colonists.
The municipal borders of the colony is four times the size of its built-up area. This gives it the advantage to potential and future expansions. “Ariel” is the third biggest colony in the West Bank and Jerusalem in size and number of colonists . after “Maale Adoumim” and “Pezgat Zaev”.
Legal Feedback:
The con-stringing policy by the Israeli occupation authorities of confiscating Palestinian lands in order to build illegal random outposts and settlements can only be regarded as a violation of all international conventions and agreements like:
The Geneva Fourth convention relative to the protection of civilian persons in the times of war:
Security council resolution 242 year 1967: Withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict; and Termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgement 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.
Security council resolution 446 year 1979: Determines 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;
Security council resolution 452 year 1979: the resolution once again denounced Israel’s settlement activities in territories occupied in 1976 including (East) Jerusalem, this activity constituting a violation of the Fourth Geneva convention, and called on Israel to cease planning and construction of settlements
Security council resolution 465 year 1980: calls to dismantle the existing settlements and in particular to cease, on an urgent basis, the establishment, construction and planning of settlements in the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem; Calls upon all States not to provide Israel with any assistance to be used specifically in connexion with settlements in the occupied territories;
Security council resolution 478 year 1980: Censures in the strongest terms the enactment by Israel of the “basic law” on Jerusalem and the refusal to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions, Those States that have established diplomatic missions at Jerusalem to withdraw such missions from the Holy City.
Hough convention 1907 :
Article 46: the occupying power must not confiscate Private property .
Article 55: The occupying State shall be regarded only as administrator and usufructuary of public buildings, real estate, forests, and agricultural estates belonging to the hostile State, and situated in the occupied country. It must safeguard the capital of these properties, and administer them in accordance with the rules of usufruct.
[1] GIS-LRC
The Land Research Center
LRC
