Gaza is home to an estimated 1,300,000 Palestinians living in over congested conditions and in what is often described as the biggest prison on earth (or – having one of the highest population densities in the world), in addition it also holds an estimated 6,500 Israeli settlers who dwell in tightly secured and isolated colonies, scattered throughout its length. A recent analysis made by the Applied Research Institute in Jerusalem (ARIJ) shows that Israeli Settlements constitute over a third of the total build up areas in Gaza, while housing less than 1 % of inhabitants when compared to the Palestinian population living in Gaza.

According to a Ha’aretz report made on Sunday, February 15th, 2004, the local Settlement Council in Gaza has revealed plans to establish 3 new settlements, with the aim of housing an additional 500 families by next year, 200 of which will prospectively be housed by the summer of this year. The settlements, which according to the Settlement Council have not been approved yet and will not be built before permission is cleared, would be constructed at locations near the Gush Katif block (near Khan Younis), and Mitzpe Azmona (near Rafah) in the south and Dugit (near Beit Lahiyah)in the north of Gaza. According to the Council’s head, the plans for the new settlements and the expansion of current ones were made before Sharon’s declaration to evacuate Israeli Settlements in Gaza, but were expanded in response to it.

Revelations of plans of further settlement activity in Gaza, even if not endorsed by the Isareli government yet, cast further doubts as to the genuineness of the latest Israeli declarations of settlement evacuations in Gaza, especially as an examination conducted by “Peace Now” revealed continued construction activity, including infra-structure works, at many of the existing settlements, many of which were recently designated for evacuation by the Israeli government.

Even if these latest revelations were to be disregarded, Sharon’s government plans to “disengage” from Gaza can hardly be considered a correct step towards resolving the conflict, which has been fueled by perpetuated settlement activity, as his plans tantamount to a mere relocation to Palestinian territories in the West Bank.

MIFTAH continues to be alarmed at these and other plans of Israeli Settlement expansion on Palestinian territories, which are in clear violation of international law, and which only further aggravate the political situation and render a political solution ever more difficult to attain. An imperative to peace between Palestinians and Israelis is the cessation and reversal of the damage and threat that continued Israeli settlement activity constitutes to the geographic continuity and viability of a future Palestinian state.