The head of the Commission Against the Wall and Settlement in the Palestinian Authority, Moyad Shaaban, reported today, Monday, that the seizure of Palestinian lands in the West Bank has doubled in 2023 compared to the previous year. Shaaban mentioned that "during 2023, the occupation authorities seized a total of 50,524 dunams under various pretenses, such as declaring nature reserves, expropriation orders, and eviction orders, compared to about 24,000 dunams in 2022."
He explained in a press conference in Ramallah, "The colonial measures by the occupying state in 2023, on all levels, have marked a dangerous turning point in legislative and operational implementation on the ground." He stated, "The settlers' terror has led to the displacement of 25 Palestinian Bedouin communities, 22 of which were evacuated following the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip."
Shaaban added, "These communities consist of 266 families, totaling 1,517 individuals who were displaced from their homes to other areas, most of which are located east of Ramallah, specifically in the eastern slopes and the Jordan Valley."
During the press conference, Shaaban presented a series of statistics related to demolition operations, equipment confiscation, tree cutting, and settler attacks. He noted, "The number of settlers in the West Bank settlements, including Jerusalem, has reached a total of 730,330 settlers, distributed across 180 settlements and 194 outposts, of which 93 are pastoral outposts."
He added, "In total for 2023, 18 new settlement outposts were established, eight of which were set up after October 7, with 14 taking the form of pastoral outposts in the provinces of Jericho, Tubas, Salfit, Ramallah, and Nablus, while four took the form of residential outposts established by settlers on the lands of villages in the provinces of Nablus, Jericho, and Tulkarm." Settlers receive support from the right-wing Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu.
