Ramallah:The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission has raised concerns about the Israeli occupation's policy aimed at cantonizing Palestinian territories in the Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate, which threatens nearly 400,000 residents across approximately 80 residential units.
According to Qatar News Agency, the Commission's statement highlighted the Israeli occupation's efforts to reopen Route 463 for settler traffic. This road traverses the central Ramallah-Al-Bireh urban area, separating its northern and southern sections.
The Commission noted that reopening the road would disconnect eight villages and two major residential neighborhoods in the northern urban area from the rest of the region. This move is seen as part of a broader strategy of cantonization, which has been progressing due to factors like Area C, settlements, bypass roads, checkpoints, and military gates, alongside intensified movement restrictions since October 7, 2023.
The statement warned that allowing settlers access to this road could lead to the de facto annexation and depopulation of Area C of Palestinians, a process that contradicts international humanitarian law. It further argued that these actions violate the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits altering the legal status of occupied territories and obligates the occupying power to protect the population from actions that compromise their geographic and social integrity.