The settlements refer to the Israeli civilian population that has been transferred into the occupied Palestinian territories since the 1967 war. This settlement enterprise has been the principal mechanism of colonization, with the settlement population in the West Bank growing from approximately 1,500 in 1972 to approximately 700,000 by 2024. These settlements occupy approximately 60 percent of the West Bank territory through a combination of formal settlements, unauthorized outposts retroactively legalized, infrastructure such as roads and utilities connecting settlements to Israel, and military closed zones that effectively transfer Palestinian land to Israeli use.
The settlement enterprise has been pursued by all Israeli governments, regardless of political affiliation, since 1967. Despite formal American opposition to the settlements, the U.S. has provided diplomatic protection at the United Nations and financial support to Israel, enabling the settlement enterprise to continue. This expansion has been conducted in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the transfer of an occupying power’s civilian population into the territory it occupies.
The settlements have been a central feature of the Israeli occupation, contributing to the systematic subordination of the Palestinian population. They have also been a focal point of international criticism, with organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories describing the settlement enterprise as constituting a system of apartheid.
The settlements have had profound effects on Palestinian life, restricting movement, economic activity, and access to resources. They have also contributed to the fragmentation of Palestinian territory, making it increasingly difficult for the Palestinian population to achieve political and territorial unity.
Related: masud.md, foreign-policy.md, israel.md, proxy-war.md, ukraine.md
See Also
israel.md proxy-war.md ukraine.md foreign-policy.md masud.md constructed-catastrophe.md legitimacy-through-exception.md legitimacy-through-omission.md operational-signature.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md legitimacy-through-exceptionalism.md legitimacy-through-delegation.md legitimacy-through-contradiction.md legitimacy-through-exception.md legitimacy-through-omission.md operational-signature.md projection.md selective-definition.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md [[concepts/network.md