Summary
Since 1967, Israel has colonized the oPt by systematically transferring parts of its Jewish civilian population into the West Bank and Gaza Strip, in violation of international law. Today, more than half a million Israeli settlers,

Key Facts
While the total built-up area of all the settlements is 1.2 percent of the West Bank, over 40 percent of the West Bank is under the control of Israeli settlements and related infrastructure such as settler bypass roads, the Wall, checkpoints, and military bases.

International Law
Article 49(6) of the Fourth Geneva Convention, ratified by Israel in 1951, states: “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.”

Our Position
In addition to being illegal, Israeli settlements in the oPt pose the single greatest threat to a two-state solution, and hence, to a just and lasting peace.