Details of actions taken under the Third Israeli obligation

Israel's insertion of the word "unauthorized" is inconsistent with its Road Map obligations and is intended to allow Israel to remove only those settlement outposts that it, in its sole discretion, deems "unauthorized."

Israel has not frozen all settlement activity and, in fact, continues to expand settlements

PM Sharon issued the following statement:

"In regard to the unauthorized outposts, I want to reiterate that Israel is a society governed by the rule of law. Thus, we will immediately begin to remove unauthorized outposts."

(Aqaba Summit, 4 June 2003)"

According to Peace Now, Israel has erected at least 62 new settlements and settlement outposts since March 2001.

US officials claim there are as many as 100.

Israel named only 15 outposts that would be dismantled.

According to Peace Now in Israel, 10 outposts have been erected and 8 removed with a net increase of 2 outposts.

Of those removed, only 1 outpost was inhabited.

According to US sources, Israel has constructed almost as many settlement outposts as it has removed.

Source: U.S. Presses Israel on Outposts and Prisoners, HA'ARETZ, 9 July 2003 at 1.

In 2002 alone, Israel constructed 8,125 dwellings in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).

Construction began on 6,401 dwellings in the OPT with active construction on 15,994 dwelling in the OPT.

Israel approved the construction of 2,309 housing units in the OPT, representing 75% of all housing units approvals given by Israel.

Source:

Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, www.cbs.gov.il/yarhon/o3_e.htm

Since 30 April 2003, Israel has approved the construction of 502 housing units in the OPT, bringing the total number of housing units approved since January 2003 to 635.

Source: Americans for Peace Now, www.peacenow.org