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: Expulsion
- Category: internal expulsion
20240622 - unknown place, West Bank - Israeli occupiers refuse to stop unjustified expulsion of Palestinian (1).png
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- Parent Category: DEMOGRAPHIC ALTERATION
- Category: Forced displacement
20250226 - news - Israeli military displaces thousands in Nur Shams camp, deepening West Bank humanitarian crisis
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- Parent Category: DEMOGRAPHIC ALTERATION
- Category: Forced eviction
20250212 - news - Israeli army tells Palestinians in Nour Shams refugee camp to leave their homes or die
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- Parent Category: DEMOGRAPHIC ALTERATION
- Category: Forced displacement
20250210 - PDF - UNRWA: Israeli military operation displaces 40,000 in the West Bank
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- Parent Category: DEMOGRAPHIC ALTERATION
- Category: Forced displacement
20250210 - PDF - UNRWA: Large-scale forced displacement in the West Bank impacts 40,000 people
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- Parent Category: DEMOGRAPHIC ALTERATION
- Category: Forced displacement
20250210 - PDF - Israeli offensive on occupied West Bank forcibly displaced 40,000 people
- Details
- Parent Category: DEMOGRAPHIC ALTERATION
- Category: Forced displacement
20250210
News
Israeli offensive on the occupied West Bank forcibly displaced 40,000 people
- Details
- Parent Category: DEMOGRAPHIC ALTERATION
- Category: Forced displacement
20250210 - news - 20250210 - news - Israeli offensive on occupied West Bank forcibly displaced 40,000 people
- Details
- Parent Category: DEMOGRAPHIC ALTERATION
- Category: Forced displacement
20250210 - news - Israeli offensive on occupied West Bank forcibly displaced 40,000 people