A/HRC/28/43 approved in the settlement of Ramot, in East Jerusalem.”7 Illegal Israeli settlement activity in East Jerusalem is one contributing factor to the volatile situation there. 8 11. As reported to the twenty-fifth session of the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/25/39), “the continued fragmentation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, through Israeli settlement expansion has gone hand-in-hand with the construction of the wall, the destruction of Palestinian-owned property and the forcible displacement of Palestinian civilians, including Bedouin communities”. At the time of writing, an Israeli plan was being advanced to move Bedouin and herder communities from the East Jerusalem periphery and Jordan Valley to three allocated sites. 9 On 21 October 2014, the Secretary-General expressed his concern over this plan, stating that “if implemented in a forcible manner, it would be contrary to international human rights and humanitarian law”.10 The risk of forced eviction and forcible transfer of these communities appeared imminent. Reportedly, demolitions of buildings belonging to these Bedouin communities were ongoing.11 It is moreover of concern that the plan may enable additional expansion of illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and may further undermine the possibility for the Palestinian people to realize their right to self-determination. 12. The Secretary-General has previously noted that land which is declared by Israel as State land is often allocated to settlements.12 Large land appropriations in 2014, in the vicinity of Bethlehem, may facilitate future settlement expansion. On 25 August, the Israeli Civil Administration declared 3,799 dunums (930 acres) around the settlement of Gva’ot, near Bethlehem, as State land.13 This followed an earlier declaration of State land west of Bethlehem in April.14 13. In the 10 years since the International Court of Justice, in its advisory opinion of July 2004,15 conclusively found that the construction of the wall in occupied territory and settlements were illegal, the settler population in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has increased substantially.16 The advisory opinion noted that the wall “has been traced in such a way as to include within that area the great majority of the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (including East Jerusalem)” (para. 119). 14. In 2007, the United Nations Register of Damage caused by the Construction of the Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory was established by the General Assembly in its resolution ES-10/17. It is mandated to record “damage caused to all natural and legal persons concerned as a result of the construction of the wall by Israel … in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem”. According to the Register’s website, as of October 2014, it had collected more than 43,850 claims and over 650,000 supporting documents in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. At the time of writing, 15,798 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 4 Delivered by Jens Toyberg-Frandzen, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs ad interim. Briefing to the Security Council on the situation in Jerusalem, 29 October 2014, delivered by UnderSecretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman. A/69/348, section IV.A. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs office in the occupied Palestinian territory (OCHA-oPt), Fact Sheet September 2014, “Bedouin Communities at risk of forcible transfer ”. Remarks to the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East. A/69/348, section IV.A. A/HRC/28/44, section IV, and A/69/348, para. 20. A/HRC/28/44, section III, and OCHA, “Humanitarian Bulletin: Monthly Report — June–August 2014” (available from www.ochaopt.org/documents/ ocha_opt_the_humanitarian_monitor_2014_10_03_english.pdf). A/HRC/28/44, section III, and A/69/348, para. 19. A/ES-10/273 and Corr.1; see also Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Advisory Opinion, I.C.J. Reports 2004, p. 136. A/69/348, para. 10.