The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued an advisory opinion stating that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory is 'illegal' and should end as soon as possible. The ICJ's opinion, although not binding, has been welcomed by the Palestinian presidency. The advisory opinion comes amid concerns over the death toll and destruction in Israel's war against Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by stating that Jewish people cannot be occupiers in their own land [b693642c].
Expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories has been condemned as a 'war crime' by the UN human rights chief, Volker Turk. He warned that the rapid growth of Israeli settlements poses a significant threat to the possibility of a viable Palestinian state. The report documented a sharp increase in illegal settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, with 24,300 new Israeli housing units built, the highest number since monitoring began in 2017. The establishment and expansion of settlements have long been considered a violation of international law. Spain and France have also criticized the planned construction of 3,476 settler homes in the West Bank, calling them an obstacle to peace. Israel's seizure of the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war is illegal under international law. The Israeli government has built numerous settlements across the West Bank, housing over 490,000 Israelis and approximately three million Palestinians.
In a recent development, the Israeli government announced the confiscation of 800 hectares of land in the occupied West Bank, the largest such seizure in decades [ecd7ff94]. The area of about 1,980 acres in the northern Jordan Valley has been declared 'state land' by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who aims to expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank. This announcement, made during US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit, has been seen as a 'provocation'. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, and all Israeli settlements in the territory are considered illegal under international law. The UN high commissioner for human rights called Israel's settlement expansion a 'war crime' and a threat to a viable Palestinian state [ecd7ff94].
The Israeli government has designated nearly 2,000 acres in the West Bank as state-owned land, the biggest land grab on occupied Palestinian territories in decades [a5a835c3]. The expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank is illegal under international law. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich argued that the declaration of state-owned land in the Jordan Valley was 'an important and strategic issue.' The designation paves the way for the construction of settler houses and commercial development. Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now described the declaration as the largest since the 1993 Oslo Accords. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government also approved the construction of over 3,400 new settler homes this month, drawing criticism from the UN and the Palestinian Authority.
This latest land grab announcement by Israel has drawn condemnation from the international community, with the UN and the Palestinian Authority criticizing the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The designation of nearly 2,000 acres of land as state-owned paves the way for further construction of settler homes and commercial development, which is considered illegal under international law. The Israeli government's actions have been described as a 'provocation' and a threat to the possibility of a viable Palestinian state. The expansion of settlements in the West Bank has long been a contentious issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the international community calling for a halt to settlement construction and a return to negotiations for a peaceful resolution [a5a835c3].
In the latest development, the Israeli government has announced plans to build 234 housing units in Kiryat Arba, Hebron [ac2019fb]. The plan involves changing the zoning of the designated area from industrial to residential. The proposed settlement is located in an area that was declared state land in 1982 and approved as an industrial zone in 1988. Currently, there are four caravans that Jewish settlers positioned on the site in 2018. Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watchdog, criticized the plan, stating that it is a land grab by the government and aims to destroy any possibility of a political settlement. Peace Now also announced that 2024 is a record year for the declaration of state lands in Judea and Samaria, making them available for Jewish settlement without court interference. So far this year, 2,711 acres have been approved as state lands [ac2019fb].
Israeli authorities have been accused of exploiting the Gaza war to create more settlements in East Jerusalem, which is seen as a powerful demographic weapon. There has been an increase in efforts to create illegal settlements in East Jerusalem within or alongside Palestinian neighborhoods, with plans for over 12,000 housing units. The Israeli government aims to secure control over as much space as possible and ensure a Jewish demographic majority in the city. The growing number of settlements is concerning in light of the statistics for violent assaults in the West Bank, where 1,498 Palestinians were killed compared to 149 Israeli deaths. The international community is urged to hold Israel accountable to international law and the parameters of a two-state solution [f08e2e93].
The European Union (EU) has condemned in the strongest terms the announcement by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that five outposts are to be legalized in the occupied Palestinian territory. EU spokesperson Peter Stano stated that this is another deliberate attempt at undermining peace efforts. The EU leaders at the European Council condemned the Israeli government's decisions to further expand illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank and urged Israel to reverse these decisions. The EU reaffirmed its commitment to lasting and sustainable peace based on the two-State solution in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions [c98e92b2].
In a recent development, Israel has given retrospective approval to three wildcat settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank, according to the Peace Now watchdog. The outposts, located in Mahane Gadi, Givat Han, and Kedem Arava on the edge of existing settlements, were recognized by the Israeli agency responsible for West Bank construction. Additionally, the agency approved 5,295 extra homes in dozens of existing settlements. All of Israel's settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law. Peace Now argues that these approvals highlight the ongoing annexation of the West Bank and will cause irreversible harm [8cbd4b13]. Israel has approved the largest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in more than three decades, according to an anti-settlement watchdog. About 12.7 sq km of the Jordan Valley was declared 'state property' in June, denying Palestinians private ownership and usage rights. The seizure creates 'territorial continuity' between Israeli settlements in a key corridor bordering Jordan. The move has been criticized by Palestinians and the UN, who see it as a step away from a two-state solution. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right settler, welcomed the seizure. [071218aa]
Foreign Ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies have condemned Israel's move to expand its settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israel announced last month that it was going to legalize five outposts in the West Bank, establish three new settlements, and seize land where Palestinians seek to create an independent state. The G7 urged Israel to reverse its decision and release all remaining withheld tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority. The G7 reaffirmed its commitment to lasting and sustainable peace based on the two-State solution [96d65fc6].
The U.S. criticized the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) opinion that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal, stating that it would complicate efforts to resolve the conflict. The State Department expressed concern about the breadth of the court's opinion and emphasized the need for direct negotiations. The ICJ's advisory opinion, although not binding, stated that Israel's occupation and settlements were illegal and called for their end. Israel rejected the opinion and called for a political settlement through negotiations. The State Department urged parties not to use the ICJ opinion as a pretext for further unilateral actions and emphasized the importance of a negotiated two-state solution. The ICJ case was initiated in 2022 and predates Israel's war in Gaza. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War in 1967 and has since built and expanded settlements in the West Bank. [49172d64]