Maps of the occupation
Page last updated 23 Oct 2015
Introduction
Israel occupied the West Bank, including Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, as well as the Syrian Golan Heights, in June 1967. Occupations by definition are temporary, yet Israel remains in this “temporary” state after 48 years and counting…
Maps provide a graphic introduction to the fragmentation and disruption of Palestinian life under occupation, before further web pages explore a variety of key issues in much greater detail. And cartographer Julien Bousac’s delightful map of The Archipelago of Eastern Palestine should not be ignored!
1. UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
The most important source for maps of all kinds relating to the occupation is the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). This is part of the United Nations Secretariat and is led by the Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. It produces a comprehensive series of maps which are regularly updated.
These are listed under separate sub-categories:
Closure Maps
Barrier Maps
Situation Maps
Reference Maps
iPhone / iPad Maps
Other Maps
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2. Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs (Passia)
Provides a comprehensive map page, covering both the history from 1881 and present day realities.
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3. B’tselem
B’tselem, the The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, provides a comprehensive analysis of life under occupation, with the occasional equally comprehensive map to illustrate its stories. Its map page currently provides an Interactive map – The West Bank and The Gaza Strip and a Map of the West Bank, Settlements and the Separation Barrier, Nov. 2014 among links to many other maps.
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4. The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD)
(this page is blank – the website is under reconstruction)
Provides a number of good maps but these seem all to date from 2003.
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This newspaper produces a series of maps to accompany its reporting on the region. There are currently around fifty on its website, covering both the history of and the current situation in the Middle East
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6. The Archipelago of Eastern Palestine
Cartographer: Julien Bousac, Strange Maps, JfJfP c. 2009
An “illustration of the West Bank’s ongoing fragmentation based on the (originally temporary) A/B/C zoning which came out of the Oslo process, still valid until now. To make things clear, areas ‘under water’ strictly reflect C zones, plus the East Jerusalem area, i.e. areas that have officially remained under full Israeli control and occupation following the Agreements. These include all Israeli settlements and outposts as well as Palestinian populated areas.”
Contents of this section
a) Maps of the occupation
b) Occupation and the Fourth Geneva Convention
Israel’s human rights violations – an introduction
Settlement building and land issues
Restrictions on movement
House demolitions, forced displacement, denial of residency rights
Justice
The Wall
The Green Line
Water
Health
Education
The economics of the occupation