Press Release

Largest Land Confiscation by Israeli Settlers in the Gaza Strip since new Barak Government

Date: 14 October 1999

Ref: 103/99

At a time when the government of Israel is claiming it intends to remove some settlement outposts in the West Bank, the Israeli Occupation forces is starting an intensive settlement wave in the Gaza Strip. This wave is considered the most significant since the signing of the Cairo Agreement on 4 May 1994.

Since Tuesday 12 October 1999, Israeli settlers have been erecting an electric barbed wire fence around land located in the Al Mawasi area (between Rafah and Khan Younis city). The land in question is approximately three kilometres in length (north to south), and about 700 metres in width (west to east). The total area involved is approximately 2000 dunnams.

This new settlement activity comes within the context of expansion of many of the settlements located in the south of the Gaza Strip, particularly at Gadid, Gan Or, Bodolah, and Atsumonah settlements. Settlers accompanied by workers and bulldozers, and with the support of Israeli occupation forces, are digging up trees planted on this land. This continues and escalates the activities that have been carried out by settlers and Israeli occupation forces over the past month. In particular it follows on from the construction of a three-kilometre long sand road (see PCHR Press Release of 25 August 1999).

This new settlement escalation dangerously threatens the environmental situation in Gaza, since the land involved was planted with trees two years ago as part of a conservation project. This land is considered to be central to the environmental planning and Regional development in the Gaza Strip.

PCHR reiterates that the existence of the settlements is contrary to international law, particularly the IVth Geneva Convention. And, once again, calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Convention to immediately take the necessary measures to stop the settlement expansions in Palestinian Territories in accordance with their obligations under the Convention. Moreover, PCHR restates that Israeli settlements, land confiscation and all measures to change the geographical character of the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal and must be immediately reversed.