The Planning Regime in Area C of the West Bank

This paper provides an international law analysis of the Israeli planning regime that is in place in Area C of the West Bank, in order to establish whether it conforms to international standards.

In recent years there has been growing concern with regard to the planning regime operating in the West Bank. These concerns have flowed from the continuing development and growth of illegal Israeli settlements, coupled with an increasing number of demolitions of Palestinian homes and property.

At the same time there have been increasing restrictions on humanitarian assistance and aid delivery including the demolition of structures, the confiscation of equipment as well as the harassment of aid personnel.

This paper presents the international legal analysis of the Diakonia International Humanitarian Law Centre of the Israeli planning regime that is in place in Area C of the West Bank, in order to establish whether it conforms to international standards, and if not, what steps can be taken to bring the planning regime into line with the basic demands of international law.

The overall finding is that the planning regime in Area C is fundamentally unlawful, and that this is demonstrated in several key aspects of its form and function.