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.
- Details
- Parent Category: WAR CRIMES
- Category: Abduction
20231129 - news - Al Jazeera reports Israelis released 117 Palestinians in ceasefire deal, but captured 116 in the West Bank in the same last 3 days
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- Parent Category: WAR CRIMES
- Category: Injuring or killing of occupied civilians: children
20231129 - Jenin refugee camp West Bank - Nine years old boy shot and killed by Israelis while playing footbal (1)
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- Parent Category: WAR CRIMES
- Category: Injuring or killing of occupied civilians: children
20231129 - Jenin refugee camp West Bank - Nine-year-old boy was shot and killed by Israelis while playing football
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- Parent Category: WAR CRIMES
- Category: Injuring or killing of occupied civilians: children
20231129 - Jenin refugee camp, West Bank - Al Jazeera report about the Israeli murder of the nine years old boy
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- Parent Category: WAR CRIMES
- Category: Injuring or killing of occupied civilians: children
20231129 - Jenin refugee camp, West Bank - Second boy shot and killed by Israelis on same street
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- Parent Category: ARMED ANNEXING BELLIGERENT
- Category: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
20231129 - Aqbet Jaber refugees camp, West Bank - Car driver films a blindfolded boy reportedly 12 years old taken by an Israeli occupier (2)
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- Parent Category: ARMED ANNEXING BELLIGERENT
- Category: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
20231129 - Aqbet Jaber refugees camp, West Bank - Car driver films a blindfolded boy reportedly 12 years old taken by an Israeli occupier (1)
- Details
- Parent Category: ARMED ANNEXING BELLIGERENT
- Category: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
20231125 - unknown place, West Bank - Israeli occupiers violate UN rights of the child. Everyone below the age of 18 is a child
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- Parent Category: WAR CRIMES
- Category: Abduction
20231124 - unknown place,West Bank - Israeli occupiers takes a 7 years old boy at school