Area C: More than 60 % of the Occupied West Bank Threatened by Israeli Annexation

Išsami analizė 24-04-2013

Under the terms of the 1993 Oslo peace accords, over 60 % of the occupied Palestinian territory in the West Bank remains under full Israeli military and administrative control. Here, in what is known as 'Area C', Israel restricts Palestinians' access to land and resources by instituting systemic segregation, forcibly evicting and displacing Palestinian residents, demolishing civilian property and expanding Israeli settlements. Israeli law applies in the area, and Israeli control is gradually reinforced. Amounting to de facto annexation, the Israeli's government's measures are in clear violation of international law. The situation is undermining hopes for a two-state solution, effectively creating a single-state with only isolated 'islands' ('Area A') under Palestinian rule. The situation has recently grown more dire, as the most committed proponents of Area C's unilateral annexation have entered Israel’s new government coalition. Although Israel’s encroachment into Area C has long been condemned by the European Union, efforts to improve the situation are continually undermined. Nothing of substance has been accomplished to implement the minimal recommendations set out by the EU's 2011 report on Area C. While the EU has expressed its concern about the state of affairs, decisive effective action is long overdue.