of the most populous Palestinian cities, towns and inhabited rural regions, are divided into 227 non-contiguous areas separated by Israeli military checkpoints and barriers.71 Area C, which is under full Israeli military and administrative control and accounts for the majority of West Bank land, consists of Israeli colonies, colonizer only roads, military zones, strategic areas, water reservoirs and almost all of the Jordan Valley.72 Khirbat Susiya Case Khirbat Susiya, in the South Hebron Hills, is a village comprising around 350 people73 who subsist on shepherding and olive cultivation.74 In 1985 Israel declared the main residential area of Khirbat Susiya an “archeological site”. Consequently, the Palestinian residents were forcibly displaced to another part of the area.75 Of particular concern is the fact that an Israeli colony, “Susiya”, was established near the original village, on Palestinian land declared “State Land” some three years prior, despite the forecasted designation of the area as an “archeological site”. The “archeological site” was subsequently declared part of that Israeli colony and the displaced villagers were refused entry to this area despite its location on their own lands.76 In 2001, villagers petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court who granted an interim injunction prohibiting any construction. Following this, some villagers applied to the Israeli Civil Administration for building permits but all applications were rejected. In 2007 the Supreme Court rejected the villagers’ petition for building permits.77 In August 2010, Rabbis for Human Rights petitioned the Supreme Court on behalf of the villagers to overturn orders prohibiting access to their land.78 However, in 2011, during four separate waves of demolitions, 41 structures were targeted including 31 residential tents 71 Diakonia, DanChurchAid and others, “Trading Away Peace: How Europe helps sustain illegal Israeli settlements”, October 2012, page 11. Available at: www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/trading_away_peace_-_ embargoed_copy_of_designed_report.pdf 72 Diakonia Regional Office in Jerusalem, “Land expropriation methods & planning”, 13 November 2013. Available at: https://www.diakonia.se/en/IHL/Occupied-Palestinian-Territory/Administration-ofOccupation/Israeli-Settlements-policy/How-is-it-done/ 73 OCHA-Occupied Palestinian Territories, “Susiya: At Imminent Risk of Forced Displacement”, March 2012, page 1. Available at: http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_susiya_factsheet_ march_2012_english.pdf 74 B’Tselem, “South Hebron Hills Khirbet Susiya – a village under threat of demolition”, 1 January 2013 / 9 May 2015. Available at: http://www.btselem.org/south_hebron_hills/susiya 75 OCHA-Occupied Palestinian Territories, “Susiya: At Imminent Risk of Forced Displacement”, March 2012, page 1. Available at: http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_susiya_factsheet_ march_2012_english.pdf 76 EmekShaveh, “Israel’s “National Heritage Sites” Project in the West Bank: Archeological importance and political significance”, 2012. Available at: http://alt-arch.org/en/heritage/ 77 B’Tselem, “South Hebron Hills Khirbet Susiya – a village under threat of demolition”, 1 January 2013 / 9 May 2015. Available at: http://www.btselem.org/south_hebron_hills/susiya 78 Ibid. 26