Redefining the Map of Palestinian Territory through Mobility

• Mobility, not just territorial boundaries, defines the reality of occupation in the West Bank and Gaza.
• Access is restricted by a combination of military checkpoints, physical barriers, administrative zones, and settler activities.
• Control is increasingly asserted by dictating who can move, when they can move, and who receives protection while doing so.

Mobility as a Measure of Control

• A UN study from April 2026 documented 925 obstacles permanently or intermittently restricting movement for 3.4 million Palestinians.
• Distance is no longer geographical but time-based; a ten-kilometer trip can become an unpredictable, long-duration journey due to checkpoints.
• Physical control often precedes formal construction, with soldiers closing roads to allow protected settler access to areas like Nablus's Joseph's Tomb.

The Failure of Administrative Divisions

• The Oslo Accord's A, B, and C zones have failed to protect Palestinian land rights as settlers expand operations across these administrative boundaries.
• Peace Now reports that settlers have taken control of over 100,000 dunams within areas designated as under Palestinian administration, including land in Zone A.
• Israeli military orders, such as those issued in July 2026 for the Jenin governorate, continue to annex or restrict land to create infrastructure connections between settlements.

Escalation and Daily Reality

• Settler violence is rising, with the UN recording over 1,600 attacks on Palestinians and their property in 2026, averaging 6.7 incidents per day.
• The nature of encroachment is shifting from isolated hillsides toward the direct borders and interiors of Palestinian communities.
• Gaza serves as an extreme example of this restriction, where 65% of the territory was under restricted access by mid-2026, forcing 2.1 million people into less than half the area.
• Jerusalem remains largely inaccessible to West Bank Palestinians due to permits, walls, and closures at religious sites like the Al-Aqsa Mosque.