La Via Campesina vehemently denounces and condemns the illegal seizure of over 23.7 square kilometers (9.15 square miles) of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of this year by the Israeli government amidst the ongoing genocidal war in the Gaza Strip. More than half of this land, amounting to 12.7 square kilometers in the Jordan Valley, was announced on July 2nd, marking the largest land annexation in the last 30 years since the 1993 Oslo Accords. The Jordan Valley, considered the breadbasket of the future Palestinian state, is endowed with fertile lands and rich water resources.
This announcement by Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is unsurprising, given his role in overseeing settlement planning and his residence in the occupied West Bank. The land annexation aligns with Israeli occupation forces’ strategy to solidify Israel’s hold on the territory and prevent the creation of a Palestinian state. In May 2023, Smotrich, who publicly opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state, instructed Israeli government ministries to prepare for 500,000 more Israeli settlers to move into the occupied West Bank.
Since 1967, successive Israeli governments have invested significant resources in establishing and expanding settlements in the Occupied Territories, both in terms of land area and population. For millions of Palestinians under occupation, these expansions and land seizures are stark reminders of their diminishing prospects for self-determination.
The ongoing genocidal war, targeting women and children, the unprecedented state-sponsored starvation in the 21st century, the relentless destruction of agricultural lands, crops, and trees, and the seizure of the best lands in Palestine by the Israeli apartheid state indicate its flagrant and inhumane attempts to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state and self-determination.
Millions of Palestinians in the West Bank live in Areas A, B, and C, under Israeli military rule. The Palestinian Authority is largely barred from operating in most of the West Bank. Settlers wield significant power, often with state support, implementing economic warfare, physical violence, and other gross human rights violations. The situation on the ground is dire, with frequent closures of checkpoints without reason, restricted access to water, and settler attacks on peasants’ property. These attacks, including land burning and armed assaults, target small rural communities, especially in Area C, forcing them off their land and into cities. The separation wall, the torture of prisoners, the detention of children, and car-ramming attacks have also recently increased.
Since October 2023, Palestinians in the West Bank have faced continuous violence and intimidation to force them off their land. In September 2023, the UN warned about rising settler violence targeting Palestinian herders, driving them from their homes and land. Israeli herder settlers have taken control of 10% of Area C and 6% of the entire West Bank over the last five years. Many Palestinian herders have been cut off from grazing lands and are resorting to growing fodder to feed their animals, forcing them to sell off some animals, reducing their flocks, and struggling to make a living.
Today, as we issue this statement, Gaza faces imminent famine due to Israel’s continued bombing and cruel blockade, severely restricting access to food, water, electricity, and fuel, and stifling the entry of humanitarian aid. Millions of Palestinians in Gaza have nowhere to shelter from Israeli bombs – there are no more safe places – health and education facilities, and refugee camps, are increasingly and deliberately being targeted. The bombing of Khan Younis and the UN-run school in central Gaza further exemplifies this brutality.
The Israeli occupation, now approaching 289 days, has primarily targeted civilians, leading to increased deaths among children, the elderly, and women. This has resulted in 39,006 Palestinian fatalities and 89,818 injuries. The use of heavy weapons, internationally banned white phosphorus, bombs, and airstrikes has exacerbated this toll. Additionally, the restriction of access to food is being employed as a strategy, causing suffering through both immediate violence and prolonged starvation.
We ask: how long should Israeli occupying forces continue to kill, destroy, and commit heinous crimes against humanity before we say enough is enough? Peoples of the world, rise up and stop the genocide! We call upon the peoples and countries of the world to show real and active solidarity with the Palestinian people. Denounce the crimes against humanity perpetrated against them.
Considering the recent advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on July 19, 2024, which reaffirmed the illegality of Israeli settlements and occupation, La Via Campesina stands firmly with the ICJ’s call for the cessation of all illegal activities, the dismantling of settlements, and the provision of restitution for affected properties and assets since 1967. The ICJ’s findings reinforce the rights of the Palestinian people and the principles of international law.
La Via Campesina expresses unwavering support for the Palestinian people and the peasant movement united against Israel’s recent annexation of vital lands, waters, and territories of occupied Palestine’s Area C. On behalf of our 200 million members organized in 180 local and national organizations worldwide, La Via Campesina adds its voice to global opposition to Israel’s illegal annexation plans and reiterates our demand for an end to the entire Israeli occupation. We strongly condemn the continuous support of the U.S. administration and other EU countries for the Israeli occupation by supplying it with all types of weapons and support, thereby facilitating the ongoing genocidal war on Gaza.
We call for the immediate cessation of forced evictions, illegal annexation of land, destruction of homes, and the construction of illegal settlements in occupied Palestine. We affirm that Palestinian rights are indeed human rights. On July 27, our Global Mobilization Day in Solidarity with Palestine, we will intensify our global mobilization against this genocide and campaign to #StopGazaStarvation. Let’s intensify pressure on the Israeli government by supporting economic boycotts and refusing to purchase products, including agricultural ones, from the occupying power.
Call to Action:
- Advocate for the enforcement of the ICJ’s recent opinion on the illegality of Israeli settlements and occupation.
- Sign our petition to declare Gaza a famine zone.
- Join us on July 27 for our Global Mobilization Day in Solidarity with Palestine to #StopGazaStarvation.
- Support economic boycotts against Israeli products, including agricultural ones.
- Urge your government to condemn and act against the Israeli occupation.
- Promote awareness and solidarity by sharing this statement and our call to action.
Join us in our call to end this oppression and stand with the Palestinian people in their fight for freedom, justice, and self-determination.
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