TEL AVIV- An Israeli human rights group says settlements control more than 42 per cent of the West Bank. The B'Tselem group also says one-fifth of the land occupied by settlements was seized from private Palestinian landowners. It says much of the confiscation took place after Israel's Supreme Court outlawed the practice in 1979. B'Tselem said Tuesday its report is based on official state documents, including military maps and a military settlement database. B'Tselem said the built-up area of settlements covers about 1 percent of the West Bank's land area, but their municipal jurisdiction and regional councils covers more than 42 per cent. Israel's settlements have been a controversial enterprise throughout the decades and a main obstacle to peacemaking with the Palestinians.
