The Palestinian Authority says in statement that “In light of the escalation in the settlement campaign, the Palestinian leadership has decided to ask the Security Council to discuss this critical development, which threatens to destroy the peace process and the two-state solution”.

A similar attempt by the Palestinian Authority failed in February 2011, after the United States vetoed a draft resolution condemning Israel’s settlement building.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said he will not resume peace talks unless Israel halts all settlement activities. However, the Palestinian Authority has the last weeks reneged on its demand for a settlement freeze if Israel releases 100 prisoners as a show of good faith for the peace talks.

Demonstrations and clashes

Demonstrations against restricted land access around existing settlements continued this week, following the Israeli announcement to build 2000 new settlements in Jerusalem. Additional demonstrations against restricted access to farming land were held close to the settlements Karmei Tzur and Kafr Qaddum. The past week also saw protests against the construction of the wall as it results in additional restrictions of access to farming land. The demonstrations led to clashes in which 21 Palestinians were injured.

An overwhelming majority of the wall, about 80 % is constructed, in violation of international law, on the occupied West Bank including in and around East Jerusalem. When completed, 9,5 % of the West Bank will be on the Israeli side of the wall.

Settler violence and destruction of olive trees

6 Palestinians, one of them an 80 year old woman, were injured by stone throwers during the olive harvest close to the settlement Ma’ale Mikhmas this week. In the same area 70 olive trees were burned down and stone throwing settlers sabotaged four Palestinian owned vehicles. During the same period 50 olive trees were destroyed in the area of Beit Safafa in East Jerusalem and the village Janya. In three other incidents, settlers forced Palestinian farmers to abstain from their harvest or leave the area, despite coordination with IDF in order to guarantee their security.

Continued demolition of Palestinian property

13 buildings were demolished in area C on the West Bank making 29 Palestinians, of which 21 were children, homeless during the past week. The demolitions were carried out in an area designated for the expansion of the settlement Ma’ale Adummim and on the basis that the structures lacked Israeli building permits.

It is almost impossible for Palestinians to get building permits in area C while Israeli settlers face a different reality. During the period of 2000-2007 Israeli authorities approved 91 building permits from Palestinians in this area (that constitutes 60 percent of the West Bank). During the same period, over 18 000 buildings in settlements were approved in the same area.

Settler related incidents during 2001:

Incidents resulting in Palestinian injuries or damaged Palestinian property: 377

Injured Palestinians during 2011: 167

Of which occurred this week: 1

Injured settlers during 2011: 30

Violation of international law

The Israeli army is, according to international as well as Israeli law utterly responsible for law and order on the West Bank. Numerous reports from UN agencies as well as Israeli authorities show that the attitude towards settlers who commit crimes against Palestinians is very forgiving. Israeli soldiers who witness these crimes tend to ignore them.

Constructing settlements on occupied land is a clear violation of international law. Today there are about 500 000 settlers living in settlements on the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, areas that are under occupation by Israel.

Settler-related violence in the West Bank continues

Seven settler-related incidents were documented between the 19-25 October. They led to the injury of four Palestinians, one settler and damage to over 120 Palestinian olive trees. Most of the incidents took place in the context of the olive harvest. One of the incidents, where settlers set fire to 40 olive trees, “occurred on Palestinian-owned land located in the vicinity of Israeli settlements, during times which had been coordinated in advance by
the Israeli authorities to allow farmers to access their land and harvest their olives.”

Despite the incidents above, OCHA states that “there has been a significant decline
in settler-related violence compared to recent weeks.”

Demolitions of Palestinian Houses resumes

OCHA reports that “demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures in Area C of the West Bank, due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, resumed this week after a twoweek lull. Overall, the Israeli authorities demolished ten structures in three different locations of the Jerusalem governorate.” Four of the structures demolished were residents, displacing families with children.

Palestinians injured in clashes with Israeli forces

Clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians throughout the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem, resulted in 21 Palestinian injuries and 1 Israeli injury. Ten of the injuries were sustained in a weekly demonstration against the closure of a Palestinian village’s main entrance, leading to an Israeli settlement. Other Palestinians were injured by Israeli forces in a confrontation between Palestinians, international and Israeli activists and Israeli settlers in Nablus and in Jenin. A group of villagers, who were participating in a funeral procession towards a cemetery on the ‘Palestinian’ side of the Barrier, were denied access through the checkpoint. Also, a four-year-old Palestinian girl from the Bedouin community in Jerusalem was injured in the neck by live ammunition.

Settler-related incidents:

Incidents resulting in Palestinian injuries or property damage in 2011: 354
Palestinians injured this week: 4
Palestinians injured in 2011: 208
Settlers injured in 2011: 30

Palestinians attacked during olive harvest – despite coordination with Israeli authorities

Settler violence increased again this week with the onset of the annual olive harvest. OCHA writes: In three separate incidents, Israeli settlers physically assaulted and injured four Palestinians, including an elderly man, while they were harvesting their olives near the villages of Jit and Jinsafut in the Qalqiliya governorate and Awarta in the Nablus governorate. In another five incidents, resulting in no injuries, settlers attacked Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest and damaged or stole their crops. All of these incidents occurred on Palestinian-owned land located in the vicinity of Israeli settlements, during times which had been allocated by the Israeli authorities to allow farmers to access their land and harvest their olive crop. In some of the incidents, Israeli forces intervened and removed the settlers, allowing farmers to resume their work.

Grazing lands poisoned by settlers – six sheep killed

OCHA writes: Palestinian eyewitnesses reported that settlers from Tuqu’ settlement sprayed grazing land near the settlement with chemicals that subsequently caused the death of six sheep and injured ten others belonging to Palestinian herders. Also, settlers set fire, cut down and uprooted around 250 olive, fig and almond trees belonging to Palestinians in the Bethlehem and Nablus governorates. There have been no reports of compensation for these acts of violence. Also this week, seven other Palestinians, including three children (aged between 12 and 14 years), an elderly man and two women, were injured after being stoned or physically assaulted by settlers in the Ramallah and Nablus governorates. In a separate incident, During the week, there were also a number of stone-throwing incidents by settlers that led to the damage of three Palestinian vehicles in the Jerusalem and Qalqiliya governorates.

Settler-related incidents:

Incidents resulting in Palestinian injuries or property damage in 2011: 347
Palestinians injured this week: 11
Palestinians injured in 2011: 155
Settlers injured in 2011: 28

Worth noticing from the past week

OCHA writes: In Hebron, Israeli forces physically assaulted and injured six students (aged between 11 and 12) while they were en route to their schools. The incident occurred at a checkpoint at the entrance of Al Shuhada Street, after the students refused to pass through a metal detector. While students, teachers and pregnant women were allowed to pass the checkpoint without being checked in previous years, Israeli forces imposed this measure again during the week on every Palestinian crossing the checkpoint.

Demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures in Area C, due to a lack of Israeli-issued building permits, continued this week, with the Israeli authorities’ demolition of 13 structures, including residences, a mosque, a water cistern and animal structures. Read more about why Palestinians build without permission here.

Violation of international law

Israel is, as an occupying power, responsible for upholding public order and security on the West Bank according to international humanitarian law. The final responsibility rests on the Israeli army, who are obligated to protect the civilians living under their control. Israeli soldiers that witness the crimes  tend to ignore them,

Building settlements is prohibited by international law. Today about 500 000 israeli settlers live in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Read more about the impact of the settlements here.

Olive trees on fire and over 20 injured

Dozens of Israeli settlers attacked palestinians and Israeli activists outside the village of Anata where people came to protest the take over of private palestinian lands by Israeli settlers. 20 Israeli activists and two palestinians were injured after being stoned and phyiscally assaulted. Settlers also injured a palestinian man near Nablus when they sprayed pepper gas in his face.

Two young palestinians were injured when hit by a settler vehicle. A palestinian boy was killed in a similar incident two weeks ago. Since the begining of 2011, 21 palestinians (among them 14 children) have been injured after hit by vehicles driven by settlers.

Israeli settlers also set fire to and cut about 250 palestinian owned olive trees in four incidents around the West Bank.

Settler related incidents during 2011:

Incidents resulting in Palestinian injuries or property damade: 333

Injured Palestinians: 142

Injured settlers: 28

Worth noticing from the past week

26 buildings ware demolished in the villages of Kafr ad Dik and Beit Ula in the West Bank. The buildings demolished include residential housing, water cisterns, animal shelters and agricultural rooms. By demolishing these structures the livelihood of over 100 persons has been undermined and 19 persons has been left homeless according to OCHA. Read more about why Palestinians build illegaly here.

In addition, OCHA reports that 300 olive and almond trees have been destroyed since the Israeli government declared the land as “state land”. The Israeli government claims that the Palestinians who cultivated the land did so illegally, something the Palestinian landowners contest.

Declaring areas as “state land” is Israel’s primary method to take over areas in the West Bank. Israel has, since the 1980s, declared almost a fifth of the West Bank as “state land”. Much of this land has been used to build settlements.

Finally the OCHA reports that 435 buildings owned by Palestinians was demolished in 2011 in comparison with 290 buildings during the same period of 2010.

Violation of international law

Israel is, as an occupying power, responsible for upholding public order and security on the West Bank according to international humanitarian law. The final responsibility rests on the Israeli army, who are obligated to protect the civilians living under their control. Israeli soldiers that witness the crimes  tend to ignore them,

Building settlements is prohibited by international law. Today about 500 000 israeli settlers live in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Read more about the impact of the settlements here.

The Israeli plans to build 1100 new homes in the Gilo settlement recently has been heavily criticized by the palestinians and the intrenational community. One of Israels closest allies in Europe, Germany, sharply criticized the construction plans. Chancellor Angela Merkel, who lately has pressured palestinians not to submit its application to become a full member state of the UN, became furoius when she heard about the construction plans and said that she does not believe a word Netanyahu says, according to Haaretz.

- The Quartet statement contained a clear condition by which the parties pledge to avoid provocative moves, Merkel told Netanyahu. I cannot undertand how just a few days after the Quartet statement, you approve 1,100 new housing units,” Merkel added, according to Haaretz.

The international community: settlements major obstacle to peace

The international community unanimously agrees that the Israeli settlements constitute a major obstacle to a peaceful solution to the conflict. The EU has stated many times that the Israeli settlements form a huge impediment for peace in the Middle East, and that continued activities in the settlements would throw doubt on the seriousness of the Israeli engagement in reaching a two-state solution. Former Secretary General of the UN Kofi Annan concluded in his final report to the Security Council that the settlements constitute the single most important obstacle for the realization of a territorially coherent and viable Palestinian state.

Read more about the impact of settlements here.

Israels planer på 1100 nya bostäder i bosättningen Gilo utlöste en stormvåg av protester från palestinierna och det internationella samfundet för knappt två veckor sedan. Bland annat gick Tysklands förbundskansler Angela Merkel, som i vanliga fall ofta försvarar Israel, till mycket hård attack mot premiärminister Netanyahu.

- Godkännandet av den nya byggnationen skapar frågetecken kring den israeliska regeringens vilja att inleda seriösa förhandlingar med palestinierna, ska Merkel ha sagt till Israels premiärminister Netanyahu.

Internationella samfundet: bosättningarna stort hinder för fred

Det internationella samfundet är enigt om att de israeliska bosättningarna utgör ett stort hinder för en fredlig lösning på konflikten. EU hävdar exempelvis att fortsatt aktivitet i bosättningarna ifrågasätter Israels seriositet när det gäller landets engagemang för en tvåstatslösning. FN:s förre generalsekreterare Kofi Annan konstaterade i sin slutrapport till säkerhetsrådet att bosättningarna är det enskilt största hindret för att realisera en territoriellt sammanhängande och livskraftig palestinsk stat.

Att uppföra bosättningar på ockuperad mark strider mot internationell rätt. Idag lever omkring 500 000 israeliska bosättare i bosättningar på Västbanken och i östra Jerusalem, områden som Israel har ockuperat. Läs mer om bosättningarnas konsekvenser här.