A/HRC/31/43 communities in Area C would constitute forcible transfer in violation of international law, except where the affected persons provide their genuine and fully informed consent. (d) Southern Jerusalem periphery 61. Continued expansion of the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, in the Bethlehem District, and the consequent access restrictions in the area, pose a risk of increased fragmentation and isolation of nine Palestinian villages from the Bethlehem urban centre, in addition to the existing separation from East Jerusalem. 44 This continuing consolidation of extensive Bethlehem areas into the Israeli “Greater Jerusalem” in the southern periphery expands deeply into the West Bank and cuts these areas off from East Jerusalem, undermining once again the territorial contiguity of the West Bank and, therefore, the viability of a Palestinian State. 62. As a result, the Palestinian villages of Al-Walaja, Battir and Wadi Fukin, in the Bethlehem Governorate, face fragmentation, including the seizure of land for potential settlement expansion or for the construction of the wall, restrictions of movement owing to the wall, and settler violence. In August 2014, the Israeli army expropriated large land areas from the Bethlehem Governorate, including the declaration of 400 hectares of “State land”45 earmarked for the expansion of the Gva’ot settlement. For Wadi Fukin alone, the confiscated land represents between a third and a half of the village land, including land used for agricultural purposes, as well as land in the immediate vicinity of the local school. The expropriation is expected to have an immediate negative impact on livelihoods in the village and to complicate efforts to construct additional classrooms for the local student population. In addition, groundwork recently started for the construction of 218 settlement units in the area, further isolating Wadi Fukin village, whose only remaining access road is likely to be demolished to allow for this new extension. 63. Over the past few years, repeated settler violence incidents and environmental pollution have been documented by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in the Wadi Fukin area on Palestinian land, as well as regular visits of armed settlers to the irrigation pools, intimidating farmers. Israeli authorities have failed to prevent or reduce settler attacks or to hold perpetrators accountable. In addition, on 11 June 2015 the community witnessed a new instance of bulldozing and the demolition of two wells. VII. Settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan 64. As mentioned by the Secretary-General in his report on the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan (see A/HRC/28/44, para. 54), an estimated 21,000 Israeli settlers currently live in the occupied Syrian Golan in 33 settlements, heavily subsidized by Israel. These settlements enjoy a number of financial incentives, as well as a disproportionate allocation of water resources, which contributes to a higher agricultural yield for settlers. In October 2015, reports indicated that Israel intends to expand the size of its settlements over the next five 44 45 In January 2015, the Israeli High Court removed petitions against the construction of the barrier in Battir from its caseload following a statement by the Israeli Government that the Barrier in these areas was no longer a priority. See statement by the Secretary-General on the matter, available from www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/2014/09/un-chief-alarmed-by-israel-seizure-of-land-in-westbank/#.VpardfnhBj0. 15