Israeli settlers occupy swathes of Palestinian land outside Nablus

Israeli settlers stole a plot of land from Palestinians in Jalud village, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, said an anti-settlement activist.

Residents of the illegal Ahiya outpost on Monday stole 10km worth of land close to homes built in a Area C - under direct Israeli control - as they began laying groundwork for settlement construction, according to Palestinian Authority official Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors settlements in the northern West Bank.

The plot of land is off-limits to its Palestinian owners since it was declared a closed military zone in 2001. For decades it has been known for being rich in olive trees and fig trees.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. More than 600,000 Israeli Jews live in settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, in a bid to illegally annex the Palestinian territory.

All Israeli settlements across the occupied West Bank are classed as illegal under international law, with Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention stating that "the occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies".

The Oslo agreement of 1995 divided the occupied West Bank into three: Area A, Area B and Area C. Area A is under the administrative and security control of the Palestinian Authority (PA); Area B's administration is controlled by the PA, with Israel controlling security; Area C is under full administrative and security control of Israel.

Israeli forces and settlers routinely harass Palestinians in the occupied territories through harming and killing civilians, demolishing homes, poisoning livestock, vandalising property and other forms of violence.