Israel has established a large number of settlements in these territories (see Figure 2 for a map of the settlements in the West Bank including East Jerusalem). According to international law, settlements are illegal. Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention (Part 1) clearly states: “The occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.� 1 UN Resolutions 242 and 338 stipulate that Israel must withdraw completely from these territories. Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in September 2005, but continues to build settlements in the other territories, actions deemed illegal by virtually all other states. Neither the Oslo Accords of 1993 nor the Road Map of 2003 led to a land agreement between the parties or a withdrawal by Israel. Figure 2 Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank (including East Jerusalem)
Source: United Nations Human Rights Council, January 2013.
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