Chart of the Week: Settlers have used Israel's wars as cover to build more outposts on Palestinian land

2024 saw a record land grab in the occupied West Bank

The amount of Palestinian land illegally seized by Israelis reached record levels in 2024, highlighting how settlers have used Israel's wars as cover to build more outposts on Palestinian land. Data verified by Peace Now shows that 46 more settler outposts were established in 2024 across the occupied West Bank, the highest annual total since the Nakba in 1948.

This surge in land grabs has coincided with unprecedented levels of violence across the Palestinian territories. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), such incidents reached a 20-year high in 2024. The data reveals approximately 4,250 Palestinians were displaced, 1,760 structures were destroyed, and around 1,400 settler-related incidents of violence and or provocation were documented across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

By the use of ‘state land’ declarations in addition to illegal settlements, the Israeli government has continued seizing land by employing a controversial interpretation of an Ottoman law from 1858. Originally intended to promote agricultural use and increase tax revenues, this law allows land to be appropriated if it remains uncultivated for several years.

Using this legal framework, Israel has taken over 900,000 dunams of land (one dunam = 1,000 square meters), 16 per cent of the West Bank, despite widespread international condemnation. These practices further entrench Israel’s control over the occupied territories, making tensions worse and undermining efforts towards prospects for a peaceful resolution.

This week’s data highlights the urgency of addressing the escalating crisis as land confiscations and violence reshape Palestine and the region with lasting consequences.

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza