Israeli Settlement

**Israeli Settlements**
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**Definition and History**

An Israeli settlement is a Jewish settlement located in an area under Israeli control, but not necessarily within Israel's sovereign territory. The term has referred to settlements in various territories held by Israel since the Six-Day War, including Judea and Samaria (also known as the West Bank), the Gaza Strip (until 2005), the Golan Heights (until annexation in 1981), and Sinai (until its return to Egypt in 1982).

**Population and Distribution**

As of June 2023, approximately 491,923 Israelis live in settlements, accounting for about 5% of Israel's population. Of these, 43% reside in elite cities located between the Green Line and the separation fence, as well as in the city of Ariel in Samaria.

**Legal Status**

Since Judea and Samaria have not been annexed to the State of Israel, the sovereign authority in this area is the IDF Central Command. As a result, residents of settlements are subject to military government, with many parts of Israeli law applying in practice.

**International Law and Recognition**

The international community considers Israeli settlements to be illegal under international law, as declared by the International Court of Justice and the United Nations (most recently in UN Security Council Resolution 2334 in 2016). Israel's government disputes this view, but its Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that expropriations in the West Bank are unconstitutional.

**Settlement Areas**

Israeli settlements are located in the following areas:

* The West Bank
* East Jerusalem
* The Golan Heights

Israel withdrew from settlements on the Sinai Peninsula in 1982 after a peace agreement with Egypt. Settlements in the Gaza Strip, which had approximately 9,000 settlers, were disbanded in 2005 as part of the implementation of the Sharon Plan.

**Statistics**

As of 2019, there are approximately 700,000 Jewish settlers living in Israeli settlements.