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Israel recognises it stole Palestinian land to build settlement

August 10, 2016 at 11:37 am

Israeli authorities have recognised illegally expropriating Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank in order to expand the illegal settlement of Ofra, Haaretz reported.

According to the paper, the state has admitted to the Israeli High Court of Justice that it “mistakenly” expropriated 45 dunams (0.05 square kilometres) of privately owned Palestinian land to expand the settlement of Ofra near the Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwad, east of Ramallah.

It also said that the Israeli government is currently preparing a new plan that excludes the Palestinian land on which a number of settlement units were built.

The recognition came after a group of Palestinians petitioned against the expropriation of the land supported with a document including an Israeli recognition that part of the land was “mistakenly” confiscated.

Lawyer Tawfiq Jabareen said many illegal settlers are living on the land. He said he expected the land owners to file a petition calling for the evacuation of the settlement units.