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18، Jul 2011
The Israeli Settlements from the Perspective of International Humanitarian Law

Immediately after the Israeli forces secured full control of the occupied Palestinian territories during their armed aggression against the Arab countries in June 1967, the political leadership of the occupying state started formulating and implementing its plans and projects for settlement in the occupied territories. The aim was to create a whole range of political, social, and economic effects that would have an impact on both the geographical and demographic levels of these territories. Palestinian public and private land and properties were targeted by the policy of the Israeli occupation forces, which resorted to various methods of taking them away from their owners.

This report considers the issue of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). Immediately after Israel occupied these lands in 1967, authorities began formulating and implementing projects to settle the area, with the intent of creating a range of political, social, and economic circumstances that could impact its geography and demography. Issues addressed include the legal nature of Palestine and the legal rules that govern it; the effects of settlement on the OPT; their legal justifications; evaluation of Israel's settlement policy in light of international humanitarian law; and the responsibilities of Israel and third-party states.