When we talk about Palestine or the Palestinian territories, it is now difficult to understand on the map which regions constitute it. Starting from the 1960s, the State of Israel began the process of slowly but inexorably fragmenting the lands through a series of processes: the establishment of colonies on West Bank lands, the occupation of East Jerusalem, the isolation of the Gaza Strip, the expropriation of agricultural lands, and the restriction of Palestinian movement. The regime is concerned with human rights violations in occupied territories, which the Israeli NGO B’Tselem describes as “land grabbing”. As early as 1982, a detailed United Nations report highlighted this process, which was later expanded with new tools and activities.
So how did this fragmentation happen since the State of Israel was founded in 1948? Let’s take a quick look at the history of Israeli colonialism in the areas that make up the occupied Palestinian territory: West Bank (in Hebrew Yehuda ve’Shomron, Judea and Samaria, in English West Bank, referred to as “West Bank”). coast”) focuses on the city of Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, the area where Hamas attacks began.
Conquest of the West Bank
The West Bank (literally “this side of Jordan” in Arabic) is a landlocked area in the Middle East located on the western bank of the Jordan River. From 1948 to 1967 the region was under Jordanian control. After the Six-Day War, one of the Arab-Israeli conflicts that pitted Israel against neighboring countries Egypt, Syria and Jordan, the region passed to Israel thanks to a quick and effective military victory. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) continued to claim this territory until the 1993 Oslo Accords brought the region under the mixed control of the State of Palestine and Israel. According to B’Tselem’s detailed reconstruction, Israel today controls more than fifty percent of West Bank territory. He achieved this goal through a complex mechanism described as “land grabbing” that used both military and bureaucratic means.
Lands seized
The main tool used to gain control of the area is to declare it “state land” and then distribute it to Israeli settlers. For example, a land that has not been cultivated for three years becomes “state land” even if its cultivation is prevented due to force majeure. Other methods used by Israel include confiscation for military needs, declaring land as “abandoned assets” and expropriating land for public needs. The government also helped private citizens purchase land on the “free market”. According to legal experts at B’Tselem, the process used to gain control of the land “violates the fundamental principles of due process and natural justice”. The confiscated lands are systematically used by new Israeli settlers, while Palestinians are excluded from all use and access. Economic incentives Another tool used is to encourage Jewish citizens of other nationalities to immigrate to the West Bank. To persuade them, the government guarantees citizens financial benefits and incentives both directly and through local Jewish officials. Israeli citizens who work or invest in the settlements also benefit from these benefits. These include generous loans to buy property, discounted prices on farmland rental, tuition fee waivers or free transportation to school. According to the latest reports, twenty-three Jewish local authorities operate in the West Bank: three municipalities, fourteen local councils, and six regional councils, including 106 settlements recognized as distinct communities. In 1967, 12 settlements were established in the areas connected to the Jerusalem Municipality. Israeli law applies in all these areas. Israeli jurisdiction defines these areas as “closed military zones” that are freely accessible to Israeli citizens, Jews around the world, and tourists. However, Palestinians are prohibited from entering these areas without the permission of the Israeli military command.
Rural land grab
Israeli settlers currently cultivate more than 10,000 hectares of Palestinian land in the West Bank. This form of land ownership through agriculture is not as permanent as that achieved through the construction of permanent structures, but requires much less time and resources. On the one hand, Israeli settlements are facilitated, and on the other hand, Palestinian settlements are hindered; For example, requests to build houses or cultivate land are rejected. This process has been supported by all Israeli governments since 1967, which, albeit to different extents, have invested significant resources in the creation and expansion of settlements in the occupied territories, both in terms of occupied area and population. Restricted Mobility Israel controls all crossing points connecting the West Bank to Israel and the West Bank to Jordan. It also controls all roads leading to Areas A and B, i.e. roads managed in whole or in part by the Palestinian authorities. Palestinians’ freedom of movement is constantly restricted by Israel, temporary or permanent barricades are erected and Palestinians are held at checkpoints. The permitting regime is “strict and arbitrary” and affects every aspect of Palestinian life. The result of this policy: About 380 thousand Israeli citizens now live in West Bank settlements, including those established in East Jerusalem. “This annexation led to a regime of legalized separation and discrimination,” B’Tselem writes. The report underlines: “This regime is based on the existence of two separate legal systems in the same region, where the rights of individuals are determined according to their nationality.”
Expansion of East Jerusalem
A strange situation in the West Bank is happening in Jerusalem. Under Jordanian rule, the area comprising the city comprised only 600 hectares, representing only a small portion of the area annexed by Israel; The largest portion (about 6,400 hectares) belonged to 28 nearby Palestinian villages and suburbs. Jerusalem. Since Israel began occupying the West Bank and Gaza Strip, it has completely changed the geography of the city by annexing approximately 7 thousand hectares of West Bank lands in order to expand the Jerusalem municipality. According to the Israeli human rights organization, the new municipal boundaries are being established according to a precise strategy to ensure a Jewish majority population in Jerusalem. To achieve this, densely populated Palestinian areas are removed from the city, while sparsely populated areas are included in the city. In June 1967, Israel conducted a census in the annexed area. Palestinians who were not present at the time lost the right to return to their homes. Those who were there were instead given “permanent resident” status in Israel. This overlaps with the legal status granted to foreign citizens who wish to reside in Israel, but unlike immigrants who freely choose to live in Israel and can return to their country of origin, Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem do not have legal status in other countries. Palestinians who leave East Jerusalem for any reason risk losing their permanent residence rights and associated social benefits. Israel has revoked the permanent residence permits of approximately 14,500 Palestinians in East Jerusalem since 1967.
Strategic settlements
At the same time, Israeli settlers are encouraged to settle in Palestinian neighborhoods and expelled from their homes. Some settlement clusters were strategically placed along the main roads leading to the Old City, while others were formed in the Muslim and Christian neighborhoods of the Old City. According to Israeli NGO Ir Amim, approximately 2,800 settlers currently live in Palestinian neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, with serious consequences for the quality of life of Palestinian residents who face legal proceedings aimed at evicting them from their homes. They also face invasions of privacy, financial pressures and daily harassment from settlers. Violent clashes between Palestinians and settlers are now commonplace. In 2002, during the Second Intifada, construction of the “separation barrier” in Jerusalem began and was completed in 2016. This barrier is a largely high concrete wall barrier, which in some places adjoins Palestinian homes. The barrier completely isolates East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank, thus reinforcing secession from non-annexed areas. As UN officials confirmed, the route of the barrier (including sections already built or under construction, as well as those planned) stretches 712 kilometers; This is more than twice as long as the border between Israel and the West Bank. Most of the route consists of asphalt roads, electronic fences, barbed wire fences and ditches on both sides. However, a concrete wall eight to nine meters high with a total length of about 70 kilometers was built in urban areas.
The “disaster” in the Gaza Strip
According to humanitarian organizations and the United Nations, the Gaza Strip is “the scene of a humanitarian catastrophe”. In 1994, Israel erected a perimeter fence around the Gaza Strip. The only crossing point under Egyptian control is known as the Rafah gate. Trying to use this route to reach the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) or Jordan is an extremely long and expensive journey. In any case, access to the West Bank via Jordan is subject to Israeli approval. In September 2005, Israel dismantled settlements in Gaza, withdrew its military forces, and declared an end to its military rule in the Strip. But in reality, the state of Israel continues to control basic aspects of life in the Palestinian settlement, where more than two million people live; It determines access to food, water, raw materials and energy resources. There is an electronic fence, guard posts and patrol routes along the entire perimeter of the strip. Israel also controls Gaza’s maritime space. According to the Oslo Accords, the external limit beyond which fishermen can no longer go is 20 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza. But Israel has never allowed fishing beyond 12 nautical miles, and in some cases has reduced this figure to just three nautical miles. Other fishing restrictions also apply in areas bordering Israel and Egypt.
Source: Today IT

Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.