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Settlements
To read the relevant Articles in international
humanitarian law applying to
the illegality of an occupying power settling
occupied land,
click
here.
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The Israelis has established
approximately 200 settlements
in the OPT housing 208,015 settlers
exclusive some 200,000 settlers in
occupied East Jerusalem (June 2001-numbers).
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Israeli settlers constitute
9-10% of the total West Bank
population and only 0,6% of the Gaza
population.
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In Gaza the Israelis have
established 19 settlements, most of
them concentrated in the Gush Katif bloc in
the southern part of Gaza. Approximately
6.900 settlers are living in Gaza.
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The Gazan settlements, the
military spots surrounding them, the by pass
roads and the Israeli controlled border
zones and the "yellow areas" (areas where
Palestinians live under Israeli control)
take up 42% of the Gaza strip.
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For every 4 settlers
in Gaza there are approximately 3
Israeli soldiers, according to information
from the settlers. Every isolated Gazan
settlement (settlements not part of the
enclosed Gush Katif settlement bloc)
requires a battalion, which means there are
more soldiers than settlers.
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By Sept. 2001 at least 33
Palestinians had been killed by settlers
since the outbreak of the al-Aqsa intifada a
year earlier.
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Israel has constructed
340.8 km of bypass roads linking
settlements to each other and to Israel.
These roads disrupt Palestinian territorial
contiguity and divide the West Bank and Gaza
strip into dozens of isolated pieces. The
roads incl. 50-75 m buffer zones take up
more than 50 km2
Palestinian land.
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For each 100 km road,
some 10,000 dunums/2,500 acres of
land is confiscated.
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Besides the high security
costs, Israeli government expenditure
includes low purchase prices, mortgage
grants (up to 95% of the cost), Priority "A"
categorization (for state-subsidized
benefits and incentives such as tax breaks,
free schooling and school busing, and
business grants). The 2001 budget foresaw a
7%-income tax break for settlers.
[Last updated 28
June 2002]
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