'Israel' declares theft, appropriation of 650 acres of West Bank land
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In order to facilitate the land theft, the Civil Administration of the Security Ministry determined that no active cultivation or pastoral activities were observed in the area.
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A view of the Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar in the occupied West Bank, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 (AP)
Times of Israel on Thursday reported that "Israel" has announced the theft and appropriation of approximately 650 acres of land east of occupied al-Quds, declaring it as "state property". This decision grants the regime the authority to utilize the land for development purposes.
The designated land, previously categorized as "survey land," underwent evaluation by the Civil Administration of the Security Ministry to determine its usage.
As a ploy to facilitate the land theft, the occupation administration claimed that no active cultivation or pastoral activities were observed, therefore designating the area as eligible for "state designation".
Situated within the municipal boundaries of Palestinian towns Abu Dis and Al-Azariya, the land, albeit unregistered as private property under Israeli jurisdiction, holds significance for Palestinian communities.
Critics, including the Peace Now organization, fear that the declaration of "state land" could serve as a precursor to advancing contentious projects such as the E1 plan, which aims to significantly expand the "Maale Adumim" illegal settlement.
Read more: Israeli cabinet allocates $20Mln for illegal settlement infrastructure
As part of the occupation's apartheid policies, land theft, and dispossession have been standard practices for over the past 75 years.
The widespread theft and dispossession of land initially commenced under the British Mandate (1920–1948), particularly with the implementation of the 1917 Balfour Declaration.
Before colonialism, Palestinian farmers had legal documentation, such as deeds, confirming their ownership of land. The cadastral system, which governed property transactions, was established as early as 1850 in the region.
In the early years of the occupation, the British occupying forces provided arms to the Zionists and facilitated the dispossession of Palestinians, which laid the groundwork for the widespread massacres and ethnic cleansing during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
Illegal settlement on the rise
Lately, illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank has been on the rise.
Israeli settlers are taking advantage of their military's war on Gaza to carry out a surge of "unauthorized moves" to expand the occupation of the West Bank, a New York Times report revealed, citing the Israeli Peace Now NGO.
The Israeli NGO recorded the establishment of nine new colonial outposts made out of temporary structures, while more than a dozen dirt paths and roads were established by the occupiers.
Moreover, settlers have been fencing off open areas in Area C, which falls under the direct jurisdiction of the Israeli occupation government, according to the Oslo agreement.
It is worth noting that Area C comprises the largest territory in the West Bank and contains grazing and agricultural lands, which have been the focus of settlers, who seek to push Palestinians from their land, under the protection of Israeli occupation forces.
Currently, in the occupied West Bank, roughly half a million illegal settlers live among three million Palestinians, residing in settlements deemed illegal under international law.
