The Israeli occupation authorities decided to turn hundreds of acres of agricultural land into a natural reserve in the south of the West Bank, in order to add it to settlements.
According to the director of the Settlement Resistance Commission, Hassan Breijieh, the Israeli authorities decided to seise hundreds of hectares from the lands of the village of Kisan in the Bethlehem governorate, and turn them into a nature reserve.
In media statements, he pointed out that the land is privately owned by “Awadallah” family, and has grains (wheat, barley, and others).
Breijieh accused the occupation authorities of controlling the lands with the aim of expanding “Abi Hanahil” settlement, which is located within the Gush Etzion settlement bloc.
The Israeli decision is in violation of international law and violates personal rights and property.
Both sides estimated the existence of about 650,000 Israelis living in settlements in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, in 164 settlements and 116 outposts.
Recently; the UN human rights investigator Michael Lynk said Israeli settlements in the West Bank amount to a war crime.
Lynk called on countries to make it clear to “Israel” that its “illegal occupation” cannot continue without a price.
“What I have concluded is that the Israeli settlements amount to a war crime,” Lynk said in a speech before a session of the Human Rights Council of the International Organization in Geneva. “I tell you that this result obligates the international community to make it clear to Israel that its illegal occupation and defiance of international law and international opinion cannot continue without a price”, he added.
Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) has repeatedly called on the international community and the world’s decision-makers to take concrete measures to stop the increasing settlements in the occupied territories, especially in Jerusalem, “silence towards such grave crimes that are described in international law ” as war crimes” is unacceptable.
It is worth noting that the International Criminal Court issued a decision on February 5, 2021, granting its jurisdiction over the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, namely the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, paving the way for the investigation of war crimes committed on these lands.
On March 3, the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague – Netherlands, announced the opening of an official investigation into possible war crimes in the Palestinian territories.
