A report by Amnesty International as of 1999 found:
Israel has demolished 2399 Palestinian houses in the West Bank since 1987.
Israel has confiscated about 73% of the West Bank land.
Israel uses the confiscated land to build Jewish settlements.
The number of Jewish settlers is now more than 300,000.
The number of Jews in the West Bank was about only 250 in 1967.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are built in violation of United Nations Resolutions 446, 452, and 465.
Israel caused the world's largest refugee problem (not including the recent Afghan situation). The number of Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA is 3.6 million.
Israel denies the rights of return of the Palestinian refugees. The Charter of United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(Article 13), and United Nations Resolution 194 grant these rights.
United Nations Resolution 3236 (XXIX) "reaffirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, national independence and sovereignty, and the right of the Palestinians to return to their homes and property.”
United Nations Commission on Human Rights Resolution 2001/7 of April 2001 expressed "its grave concern at the continued Israeli refusal to abide by the resolutions of the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights calling upon Israel to put an end to the violations of human rights.”
United Nations Resolution 1322 in October 2000 "Condemns acts of violence, especially the excessive use of force against Palestinians, resulting in injury and loss of human life" and "Calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to abide scrupulously by its legal obligations and its responsibilities under the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949.”
The Palestinians did not welcome the last peace proposals because of the following main reasons. First, they deny Palestinian refugees rights to return while keeping unquestioned the "Law of Return" for any Jew anywhere. Second, they made no provisions for a viable Palestinian state. Third, they permit Israel to keep the illegal settlements. These proposals were considered to be "generous" by the US and Israel.
(Courtesy of Penn State's Arab Union Society)
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