International law dictates that military occupation is an inherently temporary situation, and its prolonged, indefinite duration raises significant legal concerns, potentially leading to its classification as unlawful. While no specific maximum time limit is universally defined, the core principles of international law, especially international humanitarian law (IHL) and the right to self-determination, treat a long-overdue occupation as a violation of fundamental norms.
A key principle is that the occupying power does not acquire sovereignty over the territory, but merely exercises temporary administrative control. The purpose is to act as a de facto administrator until control can be returned to the sovereign power, ideally as soon as possible, but that has never been the intention of the Israeli belligerent. However, the role the Israeli belligerent is resorting to is that of taking the sovereignty that the Palestinian Authority has over the West Bank.
Therefore, the acquisition of territory by force is strictly prohibited under the UN Charter and customary international law. A prolonged occupation that seeks to make permanent changes to the territory or effectively annex it (de jure or de facto) is a serious breach of international law.
- Please take note that dates refer to the day when a video or photo was published on the account of a social media user, where it was found.
- Credit: photographers, videographers, reporters, and journalists in the West Bank, news agencies, and other sources.
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- Parent Category: OPPRESSION
- Category: Depriving the freedom of movement
20251216 - news - Al Jazeera English reports on Israeli restrictions on movement
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- Parent Category: WAR CRIMES
- Category: Injuring or killing of occupied civilians
20251216 - Tuqu, southeast of Bethlehem - Palestinian teenager Moheeb Jabrin, 16, shot dead by colonizing terrorists
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- Parent Category: WAR CRIMES
- Category: Injuring or killing of occupied civilians
20251216 - Tuqu, southeast of Bethlehem - Palestinian teenager Moheeb Jabrin, 16, shot dead by colonizing terrorists
- Details
- Parent Category: WAR CRIMES
- Category: Injuring or killing of occupied civilians
20251216 - Tuqu, southeast of Bethlehem - Palestinian teenager Moheeb Jabrin, 16, shot dead by colonizing terrorists
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- Parent Category: WAR CRIMES
- Category: Injuring or killing of occupied civilians
20251216 - Tuqu, southeast of Bethlehem - Teenager Ammar Sabbah shot dead by Israeli troops during a razzia
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- Parent Category: OPPRESSION
- Category: Illegal laws
20251216 - Rafat, north of occupied Jerusalem - Israeli excavator demolishes a home under the pretext of no building permit
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- Parent Category: OPPRESSION
- Category: Illegal laws
20251216 - Deir Qeddis, west of Ramallah - Israelis demolish a Palestinian house under pretext of no building permit (4 photos)
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- Parent Category: Demolitions
- Category: Demolition due to missing permit
20251216 - Deir Qeddis, west of Ramallah - Israelis demolish a Palestinian house under pretext of no building permit (4 photos)
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- Parent Category: Demolitions
- Category: Demolition due to missing permit
20251216 - Rafat, north of occupied Jerusalem - Israeli excavator demolishes a home under the pretext of no building permit