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War in the Middle East: has the colonization of the West Bank by the State of Israel intensified since the attack on October 7?
On France Info, former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said this about colonization in the West Bank: “The settlements are progressing and they are progressing thanks to the fighting in Gaza and the fighting in Lebanon.” So, is it true? Have Israeli settlements in the West Bank multiplied since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023?
(franceinfo)
On France Info, former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said this about colonization in the West Bank: “The settlements are progressing and they are progressing thanks to the fighting in Gaza and the fighting in Lebanon.” So, is it true? Have Israeli settlements in the West Bank multiplied since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023?
Looking at the land that Israel has taken over this past year in the West Bank, we can see that a little more than 24 km² have been declared property of the Jewish state during the year, unheard of for more than 30 years old. A strategy which was launched last year by the very radical Israeli Finance Minister now in charge of the settlements, Bezalel Smotrich. “He was on all fronts in the West Bank. It is to him that we owe this record number of lands declared property of the Jewish state”declares Yonathan Mizrahi, member of the Israeli NGO Peace Now.
The majority of land that has been seized this year is vast stretches of arid hills located in the northeastern West Bank. Palestinian shepherds live near these lands and fear ultimately being expelled: “They want to push us back towards the city. They want us to go there. We won’t be able to come here anymore, they want our land”explains one of the shepherds present that day. Expulsions, in fact, have been on the rise since the attack on October 7, 2023. According to the United Nations, more than 4,500 Palestinians have been displaced due to the destruction of their homes, many more than in previous years.
Finally, the last indicator, the number of wild colonies established since October 7 by ultranationalist settlers. Sometimes very basic, 34 of these installations have seen the light of day since the start of the year, a number that is increasing sharply.
In view of these indicators, Dominique de Villepin’s assertion is verified. Since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Israel has effectively intensified settlement in the West Bank.
Watch the full report in the video above.