BBC: Palestinian grandmother Ayesha Shtayyeh recounts a terrifying incident from last October when a man threatened her with a gun, forcing her to leave her home of 50 years. This was the culmination of a campaign of harassment and intimidation that began in 2021 after an illegal settler outpost was established near her home in the occupied West Bank. The number of these outposts has been on the rise, with at least 196 currently in the West Bank, and 29 set up last year alone – the highest number in any previous year. These outposts, which are illegal under both Israeli and international law, are often funded and provided land by organizations with ties to the Israeli government.
Ayesha Shtayyeh is now trying to return to her home, but the situation remains tense as more outposts continue to be built. These outposts, which lack official Israeli planning approval, have been linked to growing violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. Despite being considered illegal under international law, the Israeli government has shown little effort to prevent their rapid growth.
The World Zionist Organization (WZO), an organization with ties to the Israeli state, has been found to allocate land for grazing or farming that is then used for the construction of illegal outposts. Contracts obtained by Peace Now reveal this practice, with some individuals involved in these contracts being sanctioned for violence and intimidation. The WZO did not respond to inquiries about the use of their allocated land for illegal outposts. The BBC attempted to ask Zvi Bar Yosef questions, but did not receive a response. Additionally, the BBC uncovered documents showing that Amana, a key settler organization, loaned large sums of money to establish outposts, including one that was considered illegal under Israeli law. Amana has been involved in building settlements in the West Bank since 1978, but there is evidence that they also support outposts. In a leaked recording, Amana’s CEO mentioned expanding operations to include outposts. The Canadian government recently sanctioned Amana for actions against Palestinian civilians, and there is a trend of legalizing outposts retroactively. Some settlers, like Moshe Sharvit, use outposts to gain control over large areas of land, leading to conflicts with Palestinian communities. Settler violence has increased, with numerous attacks recorded by OCHA. Ayesha Shtayyeh and her husband experienced harassment and eviction from their home by Moshe Sharvit, leading to damage and displacement. Despite attempts to contact him, Moshe Sharvit did not respond to the allegations. La BBC se le acercó en persona en julio de 2023 en su puesto para buscar su respuesta a las acusaciones y también para preguntarle si permitiría que los palestinos – como Ayesha – regresaran a la zona. Dijo que no sabía de qué estábamos hablando y negó ser Moshe Sharvit.
Gráficos por Kate Gaynor y el equipo de Periodismo Visual del Servicio Mundial.
El número de puestos de colonos israelíes en Cisjordania ocupada ha aumentado rápidamente en los últimos años, muestra un nuevo análisis de la BBC.
Actualmente hay al menos 196 en toda Cisjordania, y se establecieron 29 el año pasado, más que en cualquier año anterior.
Los puestos – que pueden ser granjas, grupos de casas o incluso grupos de caravanas – a menudo carecen de límites definidos y son ilegales tanto según la ley israelí como internacional.
Pero el Servicio Mundial de la BBC ha visto documentos que muestran que organizaciones con estrechos vínculos con el gobierno israelí han proporcionado dinero y tierras utilizadas para establecer nuevos puestos ilegales.