A/HRC/22/63 2003 • The basic policy guidelines in the second tenure of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (2003-2006) remain the same. The eighth national goal (out of ten) continues to refer to the strengthening, expansion and promotion of settlements throughout the country, with the Government support to continue developing established settlements and its aim of not establishing new settlements.62 (28 February) 2004 • International Court of Justice issues its Advisory Opinion on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of the Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. (9 July) 2005 • The Office of the Prime Minister‘s report (Sason report) on ―unauthorized outposts‖ describes them as a ―continuation of the settlement enterprise in the territories.‖ The report documents the active participation of the Government in the promotion and expansion of settlements up to 1992 and accounts for the ―unofficial‖ continuation of such involvement between 1992 and 2005, including land confiscation and illegal construction with the ―unauthorized aid‖ of the Ministry of Housing and the WZO, as well as ―overlooking‖ and ―actual encouragement and support‖ by the political echelon. The report concludes that ―unauthorized outposts violate[s] standard procedure, good governing rules (…) endanger the principal of the rule of law [and thus] urgent measures must be taken to change [this] reality‖.63 (8 March) • In accordance with the ―Disengagement Plan‖, 9,480 Jewish settlers from 21 settlements in Gaza and four settlements in the northern West Bank are evacuated. (16 – 30 August) 2009 • Israeli media unveils the Baruch Spiegel ―secret database‖ of Israeli settlements in the OPT, a project developed by the Israeli Ministry of Defence. The database provides details on location and population size of the settlements; status of ownership of the land including details on over 30 settlements that were to some extent built on private Palestinian land; construction violating planning regimes and building permit requirements; details on authorisation agreements between the State and those building settlements. (February) • The Knesset enacts the ―Economic Arrangements Law‖ with an additional section entitled the ―National Priority Areas‖ to apply to settlements in the OPT. (14 July) • Israel announces a ten-month moratorium on settlement activity (up to September 2010). The moratorium is in effect a partial freeze on approval of new construction. 62 63 36 Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs ―Basic Guidelines of the 30th Government of Israel, 28 Feb 2003‖ www.mfa.gov.il Talya Sason, Summary of the Opinion Concerning Unauthorized Outposts, Israeli Prime Minister‘s Office, Communications Department, 8 March 2005.