OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- A report published by B'tselem revealed that Israeli settlements control more than 42 percent of the West Bank, although they were actually built on one percent, affirming that much of that land was seized from Palestinian landowners.
In other words, the actual buildings in the settlements cover just one percent of the West Bank's land area, but their jurisdiction and regional councils extend to more than 42 percent.
Although Israel declares it is building settlements on state-owned land, B'tselem says it obtained data from Israel's civil administration for the West Bank with aerial photographs and discovered that 21 per cent of the settlements' built-up areas lay on private Palestinian land.
The report, titled "By Hook or by Crook," was also based on official state documents, including military maps and a military settlement database.
B'tselem said that Israel was supposed to start implementing its roadmap obligations in May 2003, but rather it has embarked on carrying out extensive construction since 2004 and giving Jews tempting incentives to live in the settlements.
It added that the number of settlers, not including those in east Jerusalem, grew by 28 percent, from 235,263 to 301,200 persons, by the end of 2009.
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Uprooted Palestinian
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