About 150,000 Palestinians live in Area C of the West Bank. In this area, the Civil Administration (CA) has complete control over planning, development, and the provision of building permits, among other issues. To date, the CA’s planning for the Palestinian villages in Area C has limited, rather than enabled development, leaving many long-standing buildings, as well as new ones, without the necessary permits, and therefore subject to demolition.
Infrastructure and public services are generally sub-standard. In the many villages without any proper plans, buildings are considered illegal. There is no connection to electricity, water and sewerage. This situation, together with the constraints posed by the Separation Barrier, closed military zones, and Jewish settlements, severely impinge on the rights of the Palestinian population. Such discriminatory planning (or lack of planning) has led to forced displacement, damage to property and home, to employment, education, health care and other public services.
For more information about Demolitions in Area C of the West Bank, see our Demolition Orders Fact Sheet
Bimkom’s Strategies to Advance Appropriate Outline Plans in Area C
- Professional assistance to Palestinian villages that wish to prepare, independently, an outline plan for their community, as a means to stop home demolitions and enable their growth and development such as the Jahalin communities in Area E1.
- Advancing planning solutions to unplanned and often unrecognized villages, by assisting Palestinian communities in analyzing their situation, defining their needs and formulating planning solutions, which we then advocate vis-à-vis the CA.
- Filing planning objections or legal petitions, together with communities or on their behalf, against inadequate plans prepared by the CA for their localities, or against other plans that negatively impact their locality, or obstruct access to their agricultural lands.
- Monitoring of Expansion Plans for Settlements on Palestinian lands for public review and informs Palestinian villages of plans which may negatively impact them. We prepare and submit planning objections or petitions against them, as needed.
- Onoing contact with professionals and decision-makers in the CA and government to raise awareness of the planning problems and promote solutions.
