Israeli Settlement Expansion and the Breach of International Law

Israel’s continuation of the settlement enterprise including both the building of settlements and associated infrastructure in the occupied Palestinian territories including East Jerusalem is a grave breach of international humanitarian and human rights law. It is also a breach of international criminal law as articulated in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Despite declarations by the Hague Regulations (1907) and Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) that occupation is a temporary condition the occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel including East Jerusalem is the longest occupation in history – it has lasted nearly 50 years. Through out these five decades Palestinian’s have been denied not only their inalienable rights as human beings they have been consistently denied their rights to self-determination.