• Throughout the whole West Bank, there are today 121 officially recognized settlements.
• Statistical data provided by the Central Bureau of Statistics show that as of the middle of 2005, construction had begun on 1,097 residential units.  This is in contrast to 860 residential units constructed during the corresponding period of last year. (In Hebrew)
• According to data provided by the Central Bureau of Statistics, 4,207 residential units are under construction as of the middle of 2005.  This compares to 3984 residential units which were under active constructions in the corresponding period of last year. (In Hebrew)
• According to data provided by the Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2004, there were 243,900 persons in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.  Following the evacuation of approx. 9,000 people during the disengagement process (most of whom do not reside in the West Bank today), and approximately 5% annual increase in population, one can assume that today there are about 250,000 people residing in the West Bank. (In Hebrew and English) This figures do not include the Israeli population which reside in the West Bank areas which were annexed to Jerusalem.
In order to see all the chart of all changes which accrued in the West Bank settlements in the last 2 months click here.
 
Large construction sites
• Modi’in Illit (see photo)
• Beitar Illit (see photo)
• Ma’ale Adumim (see photo)
• Alfei Menashe (see photo)

Medium-size construction sites
• Geva Binyamin (Adam)
• Revava
• Har Gilo
• Kedumim
• Pedu’el
• Neve Daniel
• El’azar
• Efrata
• Kiryat Arba
• Giv’at Ze’ev
• Ariel

Sites on which extensive personal construction is underway*
• Har Adar
• Oranit
• Keidar
• Hashmonaim
• Etz Efraim
• Alfei Menashe (northern quarter)

Sectors where earthworks have been carried out but construction has not begun
• Alfei Menashe (Nirit section)
• Alon
• Psagot
• Itamar
• Sanasana

New ring roads established around the settlements
• Nahaliel
• Adora
• Avnei Hefetz
• Enav
• Elon More

Conclusions
An analysis of the total construction underway in the Territories points to two different objectives:  the massive construction in the settlements located inside the large settlement blocs and to the west of the fence, while construction is also continuing on a smaller scale in settlements located beyond the path of the fence, as well as in the ideological settlements which, for the most part, are located east of the fence in regions which are supposed to be included, but where it is unclear at this point whether or not in the final analysis, the fence will include them. (i.e. Kedumim, Revava, Karnei Shomron).  In this context, it is interesting to note the number of new sites pinpointed (a total of over 400 in the present survey) in relation to previous surveys.  (See, for example, the survey of August 2005, where approx. 200 new sites were pinpointed).  We should like to point out that a large part of the sites located are an expression of local changes being carried out on a relatively small scale.  Almost no new large or middle-sized construction sites were recorded. in relation to this matter, mention should be made of the settlement of Alon, where a rather large construction area has been prepared, intended for private construction.  Therefore, at this stage, it is still too early to talk about a “new trend” or about a swing towards additional construction beyond that with which we are familiar over the past few years which, in itself, is certainly impressive.

This time as well, most of the new discoveries recorded concerned settlements located in the region of the Mateh Benyamin Regional Council (Ramallah area).  Next in magnitude, also as in the past, comes the Samaria Regional Council.  Most of the area of these two Councils is located in areas which are intended to remain east of the fence, where a large part of the population of these Councils are affiliated with the idealistic and activist settlement population.  More information regarding the categorization of construction in the Territories, broken down into areas, can be found in the following link. 

This present survey once again recorded an old-new phenomenon:  the reference is to the appropriation of areas in order to facilitate the establishment of new ring roads.  All 5 settlements located in the area in which this phenomenon was recorded are located east of the fence.  A similar phenomenon, by the way, was recorded last month in the illegal outpost of Migron.  It is almost certain that this refers to work which indicates that there is an intention of creating a "Special Security Area" (SSA) around these 5 settlements.  That is, this has become an area which has been appropriated for military purposes, to which Palestinians have no access without coordinating entrance in advance with the army.  In at least one of the settlements, Avnei Hefetz (1, 2, 3), we know that such SSA was indeed planned and approved by the army.  As an aside, it should be pointed out that not all of these SSA’s have been officially declared.

* This does not refer to individual houses, but rather to significant construction which usually consists of dozens of new houses.

To the Power Point Presentation - Click here.