Ankara: Israeli authorities have issued a military order to temporarily seize 5,283 square meters (5.28 dunams) of land in Jaba, located north of occupied East Jerusalem. This move is viewed as part of an effort to establish new realities on the ground, as announced by the Jerusalem Governorate.
According to Anadolu Agency, the land seizure order impacts a 725-meter-long plot within the regions of Al-Muntar, Ras al-Marj, and Shaab al-Ghuzoul in Jaba, and is set to remain effective until December 31, 2028. The Governorate explained that this order is part of an initiative to construct a settlement road stretching from Route 60 near the Jaba checkpoint to the separation wall adjacent to the illegal Neve Yaakov settlement.
The governorate emphasized that such Israeli orders facilitate the imposition of new ground realities by taking control of Palestinian land, thereby expanding road networks linked to settlements. These settlement road projects are associated with de facto annexation strategies and efforts to connect illegal settlements with occupied Jerusalem, impacting Palestinian land.
Palestinian authorities have asserted that Israel persists in expanding illegal settlements and constructing bypass roads in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. These actions are perceived as attempts to consolidate control over Palestinian territories and hinder the establishment of a geographically contiguous Palestinian state.
International law deems Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories as illegal, with the United Nations stating that settlement activities breach international law and pose obstacles to peace. Currently, approximately 750,000 occupiers reside in 141 illegal settlements and 224 outposts across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where they are reported to conduct attacks aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians.
Alongside the expansion of illegal settlements, the West Bank has witnessed an escalation in attacks by the Israeli army and occupiers since October 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,181 Palestinians, injuries to around 13,000, and the arrest of nearly 24,000 individuals.