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: WAR CRIMES
- Category: Vandalism
20251109 - Qatanna, northwest of occupied Jerusalem - Footage shows Israeli occupation soldiers ransacking a Palestinian house.
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- Parent Category: WAR CRIMES
- Category: Injuring or killing of occupied civilians
20251109 - occupied Jerusalem - Palestinian man shot by Israelis as he passed through the Za'im checkpoint, which is known by local people as manned by Israeli racist soldiers.
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- Parent Category: ARMED ANNEXING BELLIGERENT
- Category: DESTRUCTION
20251109 - west of Salfit, occupied West Bank - Israeli occupation bulldozers demolish a Palestinian home in Bruqin
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- Parent Category: Demolitions
- Category: Demolition as a collective punishment
20251109 - Bruqin, central West Bank - punitively demolishing the house of Palestinian detainee Maher Samara
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- Parent Category: OPPRESSION
- Category: Razzias (raids)
20251108 - Silat al-Harithiya, west of Jenin - Israeli occupation soldiers on a school compound
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- Parent Category: WAR CRIMES
- Category: Targeting reporters & journalists
20251108 - Beita, occupied West Bank - Colonizing terrorists attacking journalists who are reporting attacks on olive harvesters
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- Parent Category: WAR CRIMES
- Category: Targeting reporters & journalists
20251108 - Beita, occupied West Bank - Colonizing terrorists attacking journalists who are reporting attacks on olive harvesters
- Details
- Parent Category: WAR CRIMES
- Category: Targeting reporters & journalists
20251108 - Beita, occupied West Bank - Colonizing terrorists attacking journalists who are reporting attacks on olive harvesters
- Details
- Parent Category: WAR CRIMES
- Category: Targeting reporters & journalists
20251108 - Beita, occupied West Bank - Palestinian Reuters photojournalist Raneen Sawafta in Nablus hospital after being attacked by colonizing terrorists
