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Overview
The Palestinian people have been dispossessed, exiled and occupied as the result of the policies of colonial powers and the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. Between 1947 and 1949, over 80% of the Palestinian population became refugees and 78% of historic Palestine came under the control of the newly created state of Israel. Over 400 Palestinian villages and towns located in what became Israel were destroyed.
A short two decades later in June 1967, over 200,000 Palestinians were displaced from their homes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip when Israel occupied these areas. Soon after, Israel began colonising the occupied Palestinian territory in violation of international law. During the years of its occupation, Israel has continuously confiscated Palestinian land to build illegal settlements in an attempt to prevent the eventual return of territory. Settlement construction has been accompanied by numerous measures designed to ensure Israeli control, including the illegal expropriation of Palestinian natural resources, the construction of the Wall with its confiscation of Palestinian land and the prevention of the development of the Palestinian economy.
A defining characteristic of Israel’s occupation has been the systematic human, civil and political rights violations it employs in order to maintain control of the Palestinian population and its territory.
The ‘Palestine – the Facts’ section of the Sadaka website provides information on all aspects of the Occupation to provide you with an understanding of the systematic and comprehensive nature of the Israeli Occupation of Palestine.
It is divided into sections according to how the Palestinian people have been divided:
- the Palestinian population within the Occupied Territories;
- the Palestinian population living in what is now the state of Israel and
- Palestinian refugees, the majority of whom live in refugee camps in Syria, Lebanan, Jordan and within the Occupied Territories.
Other sections provide information on the historical context, Israel’s obligations under international law and outcomes of Peace Negotiations.
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