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.
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Oppenheimer
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The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
John Cena v Triple H
Matches to be announced
WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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