Editing Israeli–Palestinian conflict (section)

==== Israeli settlements ====
{{Main|Israeli settlement}}
[[File:MaaleAdummim red-roof.JPG|thumb|right|upright=1.2|A neighbourhood in the settlement of [[Ariel (city)|Ariel]] in the [[Israeli-occupied territories|Israeli occupied]] [[West Bank]], which is home to the [[Ariel University]]]]
[[File:SettlersShuhadaStreet.jpg|thumb|Israeli settlers in [[Hebron]], West Bank]]

The international community considers [[International law and Israeli settlements|Israeli settlements to be illegal under international law]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Roberts |first1=Adam |author-link=Adam Roberts (scholar) |year=1990 |title=Prolonged Military Occupation: The Israeli-Occupied Territories Since 1967 |url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/8aaa/455b51d4c49285089a97a08496071e322877.pdf |journal=The American Journal of International Law |volume=84 |issue=1 |pages=85–86 |doi=10.2307/2203016 |jstor=2203016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215100933/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/8aaa/455b51d4c49285089a97a08496071e322877.pdf |archive-date=15 February 2020 |quote=The international community has taken a critical view of both deportations and settlements as being contrary to international law. General Assembly resolutions have condemned the deportations since 1969, and have done so by overwhelming majorities in recent years. Likewise, they have consistently deplored the establishment of settlements, and have done so by overwhelming majorities throughout the period (since the end of 1976) of the rapid expansion in their numbers. The Security Council has also been critical of deportations and settlements; and other bodies have viewed them as an obstacle to peace, and illegal under international law... Although East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights have been brought directly under Israeli law, by acts that amount to annexation, both of these areas continue to be viewed by the international community as occupied, and their status as regards the applicability of international rules is in most respects identical to that of the West Bank and Gaza. |s2cid=145514740|issn=0002-9300}}</ref><ref name="maj">{{Cite book |last1=Pertile |first1=Marco |title=The Italian Yearbook of International Law |publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers |year=2005 |isbn=978-90-04-15027-0 |editor1-last=Conforti |editor1-first=Benedetto |volume=14 |page=141 |chapter='Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory': A Missed Opportunity for International Humanitarian Law? |quote=the establishment of the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has been considered illegal by the international community and by the majority of legal scholars. |editor2-last=Bravo |editor2-first=Luigi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Barak-Erez |first1=Daphne |author-link=Daphne Barak Erez |year=2006 |title=Israel: The security barrier—between international law, constitutional law, and domestic judicial review |journal=International Journal of Constitutional Law |volume=4 |issue=3 |page=548 |doi=10.1093/icon/mol021 |quote=The real controversy hovering over all the litigation on the security barrier concerns the fate of the Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. Since 1967, Israel has allowed and even encouraged its citizens to live in the new settlements established in the territories, motivated by religious and national sentiments attached to the history of the Jewish nation in the land of Israel. This policy has also been justified in terms of security interests, taking into consideration the dangerous geographic circumstances of Israel before 1967 (where Israeli areas on the Mediterranean coast were potentially threatened by Jordanian control of the West Bank ridge). The international community, for its part, has viewed this policy as patently illegal, based on the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention that prohibit moving populations to or from territories under occupation. |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Drew |first1=Catriona |title=Human rights, self-determination and political change in the occupied Palestinian territories |publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers |year=1997 |isbn=978-90-411-0502-8 |editor-last=Bowen |editor-first=Stephen |series=International studies in human rights |volume=52 |pages=151–152 |chapter=Self-determination and population transfer |quote=It can thus clearly be concluded that the transfer of Israeli settlers into the occupied territories violates not only the laws of belligerent occupation but the Palestinian right of self-determination under international law. The question remains, however, whether this is of any practical value. In other words, given the view of the international community that the Israeli settlements are illegal under the law if belligerent occupation, what purpose does it serve to establish that an additional breach of international law has occurred?}}</ref> but Israel disputes this.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |date=6 July 2022 |title=Public Opinion Poll No (84) |url=http://pcpsr.org/en/node/912 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802113920/http://pcpsr.org/en/node/912 |archive-date=2 August 2022 |access-date=2 August 2022 |website=pcpsr.org |publisher=[[Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Harel">{{cite news|last=Harel|first=Amos|title=Settlements grow on Arab land, despite promises made to U.S.|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/settlements-grow-on-arab-land-despite-promises-made-to-u-s-1.203258|work=Haaretz 24 October 2006|publisher=Haaretz|access-date=14 September 2010|date=24 October 2006|archive-date=22 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522073205/http://www.haaretz.com/news/settlements-grow-on-arab-land-despite-promises-made-to-u-s-1.203258|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Stone2004">{{Cite book| title = International Law and the Arab-Israel Conflict: Extracts from "Israel and Palestine Assault on the Law of Nations" by Professor Julius Stone | edition = 2nd
 | last = Stone | first = Julius
 | author-link = Julius Stone
 | year = 2004
 | editor-last = Lacey
 | editor-first = Ian
 | publisher = Jirlac Publications
 | isbn = 978-0-975-10730-0}}</ref><ref name="Byron2013">{{cite book| title = War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
 | last = Byron | first = Christine
 | year = 2013
 | publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]]
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=r4XLCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA107
 | isbn = 978-1-847-79275-4}}</ref> Those who justify the legality of the settlements use arguments based upon [[International law and Israeli settlements#Article 2|Articles 2]] and [[International law and Israeli settlements#Article 49|49]] of the Fourth [[Geneva Convention]], as well as [[UN Security Council Resolution 242]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Jacob |first=Aaron |url=http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=ijITI2PHKoG&b=846567&ct=7158483 |title=Historical, Legal, and Political Aspects of Israeli Settlement Policy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122083606/http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=ijITI2PHKoG&b=846567&ct=7158483 |archive-date=22 November 2010 |website=[[American Jewish Committee]] |date=18 June 2009 |access-date=13 October 2010}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=May 2023}} The expansion of settlements often involves the confiscation of Palestinian land and resources, leading to displacement of Palestinian communities and creating a source of tension and conflict. Settlements are often protected by the Israeli military and are frequently flashpoints for violence against Palestinians. Furthermore, the presence of settlements and Jewish-only bypass roads creates a [[Palestinian territories|fragmented Palestinian territory]], seriously hindering economic development and [[Palestinian freedom of movement|freedom of movement for Palestinians]].<ref name="amnesty cap3">{{Cite web |date=30 January 2019 |title=Chapter 3: Israeli Settlements and International Law |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2019/01/chapter-3-israeli-settlements-and-international-law/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240306122358/https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2019/01/chapter-3-israeli-settlements-and-international-law/ |archive-date=6 March 2024 |access-date=9 March 2024 |website=Amnesty International |language=en}}</ref> Amnesty International reports that Israeli settlements divert resources needed by Palestinian towns, such as arable land, water, and other resources; and, that settlements reduce Palestinians' ability to travel freely via local roads, owing to security considerations.<ref name="amnesty cap3" />

As of 2023, there were about 500,000 Israeli settlers living in the West Bank, with another 200,000 living in East Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite news |title=Jewish settler population in the West Bank surpasses half a million |url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-02-02/israeli-settler-population-west-bank-surpasses-500000 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=2 February 2023 |access-date=9 November 2023 |archive-date=9 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109170930/https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-02-02/israeli-settler-population-west-bank-surpasses-500000 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Israel to ramp up settlement expansion in occupied West Bank |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/18/israeli-minister-given-sweeping-settlement-building-powers |work=Al-Jazeera |date=18 June 2023 |access-date=9 November 2023 |archive-date=8 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108070321/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/18/israeli-minister-given-sweeping-settlement-building-powers |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Far-right Israeli Minister Lays Groundwork for Doubling West Bank Settler Population |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-05-18/ty-article/.premium/far-right-israeli-minister-lays-groundwork-for-doubling-west-bank-settler-population/00000188-2de6-d6e4-ab9d-ede74a3e0000 |work=Haaretz |date=18 May 2023 |access-date=9 November 2023 |archive-date=9 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609150935/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-05-18/ty-article/.premium/far-right-israeli-minister-lays-groundwork-for-doubling-west-bank-settler-population/00000188-2de6-d6e4-ab9d-ede74a3e0000 |url-status=live }}</ref> In February 2023, Israel's Finance Minister [[Bezalel Smotrich]] took charge of most of the [[Israeli Civil Administration|Civil Administration]], obtaining broad authority over civilian issues in the West Bank.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/smotrich-handed-sweeping-powers-over-west-bank-control-over-settlement-planning/|title=Smotrich handed sweeping powers over West Bank, control over settlement planning|first=Jeremy|last=Sharon|work=The Times of Israel|date=23 February 2023|access-date=9 November 2023|archive-date=5 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105011524/https://www.timesofisrael.com/smotrich-handed-sweeping-powers-over-west-bank-control-over-settlement-planning/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/24/former-us-ambassador-accuses-israel-creeping-annexation-west-bank-israel-palestinians|title=Former US ambassador accuses Israel of 'creeping annexation' of the West Bank|first=Chris|last=McGreal|date=24 February 2023|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=9 November 2023|archive-date=24 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224143609/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/24/former-us-ambassador-accuses-israel-creeping-annexation-west-bank-israel-palestinians|url-status=live}}</ref> In the first six months of 2023, 13,000 housing units were built in settlements, which is almost three times more than in the whole of 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-hands-smotrich-full-authority-to-expand-existing-settlements/|title=Netanyahu hands Smotrich full authority to expand existing settlements|first=Jeremy|last=Sharon|website=www.timesofisrael.com|date=18 June 2023|access-date=9 November 2023|archive-date=13 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231113063154/https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-hands-smotrich-full-authority-to-expand-existing-settlements/|url-status=live}}</ref>