Israeli settlers are seizing Palestinian land under cover of war – they hope permanently
Ghassan Olyan, part of whose land is being taken for a new Israeli settlement
Yolande Knell and Toby Luckhurst write in BBC InDepth on 27 August 2024:
In the Palestinian village of Battir, where ancient terraces are irrigated by a natural spring, life carries on as it has for centuries. Part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, Battir is known for its olive groves and vineyards. But now it is the latest flashpoint over settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Israel has approved a new Jewish settlement here, taking away privately owned land for new settler houses and new outposts have been set up without even Israeli authorisation. “They are stealing our land to build their dreams on our catastrophe,” says Ghassan Olyan, whose property is among that seized.
UNESCO says it is concerned by the settlers’ plans around Battir, but the village is far from an isolated example. All settlements are seen as illegal under international law, although Israel disagrees.
“They are not caring about the international law, or local law, and even God’s law,” Mr Olyan says.
Last week, Israel’s domestic intelligence chief Ronen Bar wrote to ministers warning that Jewish extremists in the West Bank were carrying out acts of “terror” against Palestinians and causing “indescribable damage” to the country.
Since the start of the war in Gaza, there has been an acceleration in settlement growth in the occupied West Bank.
Extremists in Israel’s government boast that these changes will prevent an independent Palestinian state from ever being created. There are fears, too, that they seek to prolong the war in Gaza to suit their goals. Yonatan Mizrahi from Peace Now, an Israeli organisation that monitors settlement growth, says Jewish extremists in the West Bank are exacerbating an already tense and volatile situation, and making it harder than ever to end the Israel-Palestinian conflict.