Since Israel occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights during the Six Day War of 1967 they have been building settlements for Jewish settlers in this region. There were also new towns in Gaza but Israel called all settlers back in 2005. Although the peace accord signed with the PLO in Oslo prohibited the building of new settlements the Israeli government is continuing to grant their construction.
The international community regards these settlements as illegal and the United Nations has repeatedly condemned the Jewish state for building them. The Jewish settlements in the occupied territories are one reason why peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians are at a standstill. Amnesty International and other human rights organizations argue that constructing settlements on the Palestinian territory is a violation of human rights.
Today, about 350 000 settlers live in over a hundred settlements in the West Bank. Another 300,000 live in East Jerusalem, 20,000 live on the Golan Heights. Some of the settlements are recently built small cities with their own infrastructure, urban services and transportation; others have been built in the suburbs of big cities like Hebron. Recently the Israeli government has authorized the construction of four new settlements in the occupied West Bank.
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