Children of the Jahalin tribe. Israel plans to expel the area’s Bedouin villagers to expand the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim (background). Photo: ‘Ammar ‘Awad, Reuters, 16 June 2012“Israel’s policy in Area C is anchored in a perception of the area as meant above all to serve Israeli needs. Consequently, Israel consistently takes actions that strengthen its hold on Area C, displace Palestinian presence, exploit the area’s resources to benefit Israelis, and bring about a permanent situation in which Israeli settlements thrive and Palestinian presence is negligible. Israel’s actions have brought about a de facto annexation of Area C and have created circumstances that will influence the final status of the area. 

“Israel’s policy in Area C violates the essential obligations of international humanitarian law, namely: to safeguard occupied territory on a temporary basis; to refrain from altering the area or exploiting its resources to benefit the occupying power; and, most importantly, to undertake to fulfill the needs of the local residents and respect their rights.”

B’tselem’s report ‘Acting the Landlord: Israel’s Policy in Area C, the West Bank’ documents how the occupation forces are seeking to increase their control of Area C lands, which comprises 60% of the West Bank. In a section on the Jordan Valley it provides up-to-date information on how the occupation is impeding development and creating the de-facto annexation of the Jordan Valley.

View the report at: http://www.btselem.org/publications/201306_area_c