RAMALLAH, (PIC)
On the 50th anniversary of Land Day, Palestinian officials warned of an unprecedented escalation in Israeli settlement activity and land control across the West Bank.
Moayyad Shaaban, head of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, said current policies aim to reshape the geographic and demographic reality, undermining prospects for a viable Palestinian state.
He noted that Israel now exercises effective control over more than 42 percent of the West Bank through settlements, outposts, bypass roads, and military zones, while about 61 percent of the territory falls under full Israeli control.
The number of settlements and outposts has surpassed 542, housing over 780,000 settlers, alongside continued expansion through new housing units and infrastructure projects, Shaaban pointed out.
He underlined that since October 7, settler attacks have contributed to the displacement of dozens of Bedouin communities, while hundreds of demolition orders and restrictions on Palestinian construction have intensified pressure on residents.
Shaaban called for stronger international action and renewed popular resistance, stressing that land remains at the core of the conflict and central to Palestinian identity.
