2024-04-12 16:00:26
JERUSALEM: The Israeli government will start massive encroachment operations in the Palestinian territories at the beginning of 2024. The Israeli government has reportedly declared thousands of acres in the West Bank as government land. The move is being described as a precursor to more Jewish immigration and housing construction in the region. Israeli media ‘Haaretz’ reported that 2,743 acres have been declared as government land so far this year.
The Israeli government has controlled such a large area in just three months. The report points out that this is a record seizure in the history of the Jewish occupation of the West Bank. 2,000 acres of land under Israeli control are also in the Jordan Valley. 650 acres are in Abu Disil near Jerusalem and 42 acres are in the southern region near the Herodian National Park.
Prior to this, 1999 was the year of the largest Israeli occupation in the West Bank. According to the figures of Peace Now, an NGO working for Israeli-Palestinian peace, 1,285 acres of land was taken under the control of the government. Since 1998, the organization began documenting Israeli encroachment on Palestinian land.
Before starting the construction work, the blue line team of the civil administration department needs to reassess the land under government control. The records show that between 2018 and 2023, 5,900 acres of land has been reassessed in the West Bank alone. Most of these are vacant areas where no construction work is going on.
The figures of the Israeli encroachment were revealed in an intervention by Kerem Navot, an NGO that monitors Jewish settlement processes in the Palestinian territories. According to these estimates, between 2018 and 2023, 1,073 acres of land have been rezoned in the South Hebron Hills. These include the areas of Nei Hever and Tene Omarim. Tene Omarim is an area where many illegal outposts have been established in recent times.
Areas in the West Bank recently rezoned as government land are as follows: Karni Shomron-576 acres, Nubai and Kharazil 520, Tekova-435, Shuvut Rachel-630, and Nahalil-400. It is also noteworthy that most of these are undeveloped areas or areas where no construction work is taking place.
A report suggests that the Blue Line group’s priority list includes areas embroiled in court cases or disputed between Palestinians and the government or between Palestinians and Jewish settlers. The group is also eyeing West Bank areas for building educational institutions.
Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who also holds civil administration duties, recently approved several Jewish outposts in the occupied territories, including the West Bank. Mishmar Yehuda, Beit Hogla, Shacharit, and Azael are such government-approved Jewish outposts. All these places have been allotted serial numbers to get government funds for development works. The action is according to the decision of the Israeli cabinet. All these areas will soon become recognized settlement areas.
Summary: Israel declares record amount of occupied West Bank as state-owned land in 2024
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